Indians Tidbits (2006 season)..

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CPD

2/13/06

INDIANS' CHALLENGE: AL CENTRAL ANALYSIS

<H1 class=red>Title takes tarnish off division

</H1>

Monday, February 13, 2006

Burt Graeff

Plain Dealer Reporter

The days of viewing the American League's Central Division as Major League Baseball's weak link are over. The Chicago White Sox's relentless 11 victories in 12 games march to a World Series championship in October put an end to it.

The AL Central -- the Indians, White Sox, Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals -- was born out of MLB's realignment of the early 1990s.

In the decade following the Central Division's debut in the strike-shortened 1994 season, the Tribe was the lone Central team to reach the World Series -- coming up short in 1995 and 1997.

No team from the division has reached the playoffs as a wild card.
The lone Central team to win 100 regular-season games: the 1995 Indians, 100-44.

Chicago's first World Series title since 1917 has changed the perception of the division. Thanks to some shrewd trading and talent evaluation that's produced numerous minor-league prospects, the White Sox, Indians and Twins are capable of hanging with the American League's bloated-payroll teams in the East (New York, Boston) and West (Los Angeles Angels).

The Indians, built around a youthful nucleus that includes pitchers C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee, shortstop Jhonny Peralta, outfielder Grady Sizemore, catcher Victor Martinez and designated hitter Travis Hafner, appear capable of challenging the White Sox and Twins for their first postseason appearance in five years.

With spring training opening this week in Winter Haven, Fla., here is what the Indians -- who must fill holes in left field (the trade of Coco Crisp), the starting rotation (the losses of Kevin Millwood and Scott Elarton to free agency), the bullpen (losing Bob Howry to free agency, trading Arthur Rhodes and David Riske) -- are facing in the improved Central Division.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

[email protected], 216-999-4479

 

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Canton

2/14/06

Indians exec: Fans should trust Shapiro

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By Andy Call REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER[/FONT]


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Bob DiBiasio ​

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CANTON TWP. - All Bob DiBiasio lacked when he climbed the podium Monday was a blindfold and a cigarette.

The Cleveland Indians vice president for public relations journeyed to the Four Winds restaurant to take the bullet for an organization still defending itself for having traded popular outfielder Coco Crisp to Boston for some guys the casual fan had never heard of. DiBiasio’s speech to the Hall of Fame Luncheon Club was not a plea for mercy, but instead an appeal to the track record of General Manager Mark Shapiro.

“When do you give the general manager the benefit of the doubt and believe that he knows what he’s doing?” DiBiasio said. “You may not know their names, but that doesn’t mean the trade isn’t any good. We would make that trade 10 out of 10 times. We made the Red Sox overpay.”

DiBiasio pointed out the team’s ascent under Shapiro from 68 wins in 2003 to 80 in 2004 to 93 last year. He also noted that former GM John Hart became a beloved figure in Cleveland, but Hart got there by trading away established players for Omar Vizquel, Sandy Alomar Jr., Carlos Baerga and Kenny Lofton.

“Did John Hart earn your benefit of the doubt? We heard the same things when he made those trades that we’re hearing now,” DiBiasio said.

Fan reaction has been overwhelmingly negative to the Jan. 30 deal that sent Crisp, backup catcher Josh Bard and relief pitcher David Riske to Boston for reliever Guillermo Mota, third-base prospect Andy Marte, catching prospect Kelly Shoppach and cash considerations.

“That has really bothered us on two fronts,” DiBiasio said of the unhappy fans. “First, the lack of faith in our general manager. Second, we’re not built around one guy. We’re about a team. Losing one piece is not going to retard our ability to compete. Just because a popular player is let go doesn’t mean the whole thing is unraveling.”

DiBiasio, entering his 27th season with the Indians, touched on non-Coco topics as well.

• The Indians Hall of Fame, which hasn’t inducted a player since 1972, will be revived this season. A special ceremony is scheduled for July 29 in which seven former players will be honored and their plaques placed in a special area in center field.

• Confirmed that a news conference is planned for Feb. 23 to announce some of the broadcast personnel and some of the cable affiliates for Fastball Productions, the team’s fledgeling TV network.

• Said that the Indians continue to explore potential spring training sites, including recent discussions with Cape Coral, near Fort Myers. Any move likely would not take place until after the spring of 2007, however.

Next week’s Hall of Fame Luncheon Club speaker will be Penn State football assistant coach Jay Paterno. Reach Repository sports writer Andy Call at (330) 580-8346 or e-mail
[email protected].
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Scout.com (free)

2//14/06

2006 Spring Training Schedule In Florida

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

PlainDealer

2/15/06

INDIANS SPRING TRAINING
Searching for right answers


Wednesday, February 15, 2006 Burt Graeff
Plain Dealer Reporter
Ah, spring training. Seven weeks of training camp and 30 or so exhibition games to shake out a 25-man roster.

Seven weeks of evaluation. Seven weeks to find answers to issues that confront every big-league team training from Florida to Arizona.

Indians pitchers and catchers report to manager Eric Wedge on Thursday at Chain of Lakes Park in Winter Haven, Fla. The rest of the squad reports next Tuesday.

With spring training about to unfold, here are the five major issues confronting Wedge, who has managed the Indians to 68, 80 and 93 victories in three seasons:


The starting rotation
Kevin Millwood (9-11, American League-low 2.86 ERA) and Scott Elarton (11-9, 4.61 ERA) are gone from a five-man rotation whose accomplishments will be virtually impossible to duplicate.


Millwood, Cliff Lee (18-5, 3.79 ERA), C.C. Sabathia (15-10, 4.23 ERA), Jake Westbrook (15-15, 4.49 ERA) and Elarton comprised a rotation that became the first in the 105-year history of the franchise to start at least 30 games apiece.

The five-man rotation took the ball a remarkable 158 of 162 games, with Jason Davis getting the other four starts. Some luck in a five-man staff being able to stay this healthy? Yes. Remarkable, nonetheless.

Millwood and Elarton used their success with the Indians as a springboard to getting lucrative free-agent contracts elsewhere -- Millwood, a five-year, $60 million deal with Texas; Elarton, a two-year, $8 million deal with Kansas City.

Millwood and Elarton turned out to be shrewd pick-ups by Tribe General Manager Mark Shapiro. He's hoping for the same from their replacements -- Paul Byrd and Jason Johnson.

Byrd, 35, was signed to a two-year, $14.25 million deal. In 31 starts (204 1/3 innings) with the Angels last season, he was 12-11 (3.74 ERA).

Johnson, 32, was 8-14 (4.54 ERA) with the Tigers last season and signed by the Tribe to a one-year, $4 million deal. He's averaged nearly 33 starts and 200 innings pitched in the past three seasons, when he went 26-39.

Playing for a team that's pegged to win about 90 games will be something new for Johnson. In eight previous full seasons, he's never pitched on a team that's compiled a winning record.

Left field
Trading good, but certainly not great, leftfielder Coco Crisp to Boston in a deal that landed highly regarded minor-league prospects -- 22-year-old third baseman Andy Marte and 25-year-old catcher Kelly Shoppach -- triggered a landslide of criticism that surprised Shapiro.

Crisp, who will lead off and play center field in Boston, batted second and played left field for the Indians. In Cleveland, Crisp was productive at the plate (.300 batting average, 16 home runs, 69 RBI), but often took strange routes to track down fly balls in left and had a weak arm.

The first to get a shot at replacing Crisp in left is Jason Michaels, picked up from the Phillies in a trade for relief pitcher Arthur Rhodes. The major question with Michaels: Is he an everyday player?

In parts of five seasons with the Phillies, Michaels, 29, platooned. Last year, sharing center field with Kenny Lofton, Michaels hit .304, with four home runs and 31 RBI in 105 games. He has not shown the power, or ability to steal bases as Crisp did, but will initially bat No. 2 behind Grady Sizemore in the lineup.


Bob Wickman

Here's the question with Wickman, who's 37: How much longer can he defy age and continue to pitch effectively with a right elbow that underwent Tommy John surgery in September 2002?


Wickman returned from the surgery in July 2004. In 1½ seasons since, he's been successful in 91 percent (58-of-64) of his save opportunities. He does it, despite regularly pitching with men on base that he's put there and despite seeing his strikeouts-to-innings pitched dip in recent seasons.

There is no question the Indians are wondering just how much longer Wickman can pull this off. Shapiro made off-season overtures to Trevor Hoffman, B.J. Ryan and Todd Jones. Nothing panned out. Wickman was signed to a one-year, $5 million deal in December.

OK, they're stuck with Wickman. So far, he's proven that's not bad.

Getting to Wickman

Gone from a bullpen that had a team-record 51 saves (out of 66 opportunities) and an AL-best 2.80 ERA are Bob Howry, Rhodes and David Riske.


Rhodes (3-1, 2.08 ERA) and Riske (3-4, 3.10 ERA and no holds in 72 2/3 innings) should be easy to replace. Not so with Howry (7-4, 2.47 ERA), who held opposing hitters to a .191 batting average in making a club-record 79 appearances.

He was third in the AL with 29 holds and owned the eighth inning, setting up the ninth for Wickman. Howry pitched his way out of Cleveland, getting a three-year, $12 million deal with the Cubs.

Wedge will use spring training and the exhibition season to flush out Howry's replacement. Five of the six pitchers used to get to Wickman -- Rafael Betancourt, Scott Sauerbeck, Matt Miller, Fernando Cabrera and Guillermo Mota -- are in place for roles in the pen.
Those pitching for the last one, or perhaps two, spots: Davis, Steve Karsay, Danny Graves, Andrew Brown and long shot Tony Sipp -- a 45th-round pick in 2004 who has made solid progress in the Tribe's minor-league system.

The Killer B's

Aaron Boone, Ben Broussard, Casey Blake.


Can they bounce back from sub-par seasons, or must Shapiro use spring training as a time to look seriously at ways to beef up third base, first base and right field respectively?

Boone, 33, appears to be keeping third base warm until Marte is deemed ready to make the jump from Class AAA Buffalo. After a horrendous start (he was batting .151 on June 3), Boone bounced back to hit .243, with 16 home runs and 60 RBI in 143 games.

Over the last 98 games, Boone hit .284, with 12 home runs and 45 RBI. Another start like last season could find Marte in Cleveland quicker than anticipated.

Broussard dropped from .275, 17 home runs and 82 RBI in 2004 to .255, 19 home runs and 68 RBI last season. He'll be platooned with right-handed hitting Eduardo Perez.

Blake tailed off from a .271 batting average, 28 home runs and 88 RBI in 2004 to .241, 23 home runs and 58 RBI last season, when he hit .171 with runners in scoring position. A continuation of this and Shapiro will step up efforts to get a right-handed hitting bat.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

[email protected], 216-999-4479

 

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ABJ

2/15/06

on Thu, Feb. 16, 2006
Tribe TV network to expand

By R.D. Heldenfels

<!-- begin body-content -->Baseball is just the beginning for Jim Liberatore.
The Cleveland native is the new president of Fastball Sports Productions, the company set up by the Indians to oversee their TV operation.
This season, the Indians will present almost all game telecasts through their own company, with about 20 games broadcast on WKYC (Channel 3) and roughly 140 more (counting some preseason games) carried by cable operators, including Time Warner. FSN will no longer be a home to Indians games.
Details, including the name of the new network and the broadcast team, will be announced next week, he said. He did say that viewers can expect a consistent look on broadcast and cable, a broadcast team of ``familiar faces and... additions'' and changes in the telecasts.
``The big advantage is that we are a partner with 'KYC,'' he said. The additional resources, including a studio, are ``going to let us have a whole different approach to the pregame (show).''
For example, he expects to offer more detail not only about the Indians, but also about ``the teams that are important to Cleveland.... We want to tell you more than just that Chicago is winning.''
Since taking his job two weeks ago, Liberatore has been working on details of the TV broadcasts, agreements with cable and satellite-dish companies and using the Indians' telecasts as the foundation for a regional sports channel.
The Time Warner deal has been key, especially since it is merging with Adelphia, a combination that will let the Indians reach most cable homes in Northeast Ohio.
And, he said: ``We're talking with everyone else. I don't know if we'll have everything in place by our first (telecast of a preseason) game... but we hope it will be done by Opening Day.''
That includes the satellite-dish companies, which Liberatore called ``a huge presence in this market.'' Fastball working on a deal, and Liberatore is sure that fans will push the dish services to carry the games.
One of those fans is Liberatore himself, who regrets that his schedule is too busy for him to get to spring training. He remembers attending Len Barker's perfect game in 1981, but also years when ``the Indians were horrible. Not `not good.' They were horrible.''
He believes that the Indians are no longer that bad, that the pitching will be strong in the coming season and that the team is building a core of stars.
In fact, he is excited about the future of Cleveland sports generally. ``I've met with (Cavaliers owner) Dan Gilbert, and he is going to win,'' he said.
Baseball, after all, is just part of Liberatore's vision of sports. His years in sports television included a term as president of the Speed Channel, and his long-range idea for the Indians' network is for something greater than one team.
``We are going to focus on this region, on the unique psychology of fans in this region -- part optimism, part fatalism,'' he said. ``We want to do programming about Cleveland's greatest events, Cleveland's greatest athletes -- all region-specific.''
Does that mean he would like to add, say, the Aeros to the TV mix? ``Things like that, yes,'' he said, adding the Lakewood St. Edward-Cleveland St. Ignatius football game and other high school sports as a strong possibility, since it would give local cable operators some unique programming.
``We've talked to Cleveland State,'' he added. ``We're talking to the MAC .''
The success of all this will depend first on how the Indians do, and how they do early. He thinks that the TV audience has been consistently good over the past decade, but he knows that people will be looking closely at the new telecasts in the context of the 2006 Indians.
``We do not want them to have a slow April start,'' Liberatore said.

 

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CPD

2/16/06

Indians strike out with pitch to Cox Cable


Wednesday, February 15, 2006 Roger Brown
Plain Dealer Columnist
The Indians are confident they eventually will convince area cable and satellite TV providers to carry their new TV network, but they already have gotten a blunt "no" - for now - from one outlet.
Kevin Haynes, general manager at Cox Cable - which has some 70,000 subscribers in Cleveland's western suburbs - says his company has rejected the Indians' initial contract offer to carry the network. Haynes contends the Indians' fee demands are unreasonable and would force every Cox subscriber to pay another $1.50 a month - at minimum - just to finance carrying the team network.
"They're asking us to pay 200 percent more than we did when their games were on FSN Ohio, and that's for 20 [fewer] telecasts," Haynes said of the Indians.
"It's totally unacceptable and outrageous. We're trying to stand up and look out for our customers. So, at this point, no, we're not agreeing to carry [the Indians' network]."
The Indians' network will show 130 regular-season games this season. FSN Ohio, the team's former TV partner, had been airing 150 regular-season games in recent years. Jim Liberatore, president of the Indians' network, defended the team's fee request, saying it was "a fair price" based on the Indians' proven popularity as a TV draw.
"The fact is, the Indians have been one of the highest-rated TV teams in the majors for years," Liberatore said. "Watching Indians games has become a way of life in this town, and there's a cost associated with that."
Indians TV, part 2:

The team will not announce it until next Thursday, but indications are longtime club announcers John Sanders, Rick Manning and Mike Hegan will return to call telecasts on its new network - as well as 20 games on WKYC Channel 3. Sanders, Manning and Hegan were FSN Ohio's announcing team from 2002 to last season, working in rotating two-man teams.​

​

 

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CPD

2/16/06

INDIANS OPEN SPRING TRAINING
Wedge making noise as manager -- quietly


Thursday, February 16, 2006 Burt Graeff
Plain Dealer Reporter
Winter Haven, Fla.
-- Bobby Cox, Joe Torre, Tony La Russa, Ozzie Guillen, Dusty Baker and Ron Gardenhire are thought to be in a league of their own when stacking up the elite of big-league baseball's managers.

Eric Wedge?

The general perception of Wedge goes like this: nice, young manager who hasn't found a way to get the Indians out of the gate in April, doesn't like to bunt, is generally a lousy sound bite for the electronic media and rarely offers any digestible nuggets to the print media.

Wedge is someone whose success at flying under the radar has overshadowed his role in helping turn the Indians around -- from winning 68 games three years ago, 80 games two years ago and 93 games last season.
Indians player development adviser Johnny Goryl is starting his 54th year of professional baseball.

"I'll tell you who Eric Wedge reminds me of," Goryl said Wednesday in the clubhouse at Chain of Lakes Park. "He reminds me of Walter Alston, a quiet kind of guy who was not really recognized until late in his career."

Mentioning Wedge is the same sentence with Alston is a mouthful. Alston managed the Dodgers (Brooklyn and Los Angeles) to four World Series championships in 23 years from 1954-76.

"The thing with Eric Wedge," Goryl said, "is that he is a great communicator, not only with his staff, his players, but everyone he comes across.

"He is always positive. Negativity never comes out of his mouth. And, he is very organized, someone who looks to detail."

Goryl, an interim manager for the Minnesota Twins for two years in the early 1980s, spent 10 days last summer in Cleveland. "The thing that Eric brought to our organization is his enthusiasm," Goryl said.

"He learned a lot from [former bench coach] Buddy Bell, but the best thing to happen to Eric last year was when Buddy left to manage Kansas City. Eric became his own man, not relying on someone else.

"I tip my cap to [manager] Ozzie Guillen and the job he did with the Chicago White Sox, but I don't know of anyone who did a better job than Eric."

Wedge was named Indians manager on March 31, 2003. "Mark Shapiro and Eric Wedge have formed a great general manager/manager relationship," Goryl said.

With Shapiro supplying young, talented players - Victor Martinez, Travis Hafner, Grady Sizemore, Jhonny Peralta, Cliff Lee - despite salary constraints, it's Wedge who's managed them.

"I look at Eric as an important part of what we've accomplished in the last three years," Shapiro said. "He is a tireless worker, someone who is entrenched in what he is doing.

"I thought he would be the best partner for me in the challenges we would be facing, and I feel the same today."

Wedge, a catcher who spent parts of four seasons with Boston and Colorado in the early 1990s, is a player's manager who knows when to draw the line. Numerous run-ins with volatile Milton Bradley ended in April 2004.

Bradley was dispatched to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the end of spring training. "When you have to manage 25 guys," said Indians relief pitcher Rafael Betancourt, "you have to be on the same page.

"Eric is always telling us that we have to respect each one in the room. He is a quiet person, one who doesn't talk too much. But, when he does, you listen."

Wedge, like just about every manager, has his critics. In baseball, every managerial move is scrutinized. Most complaints about Wedge have to do with not finding ways to manufacture runs through bunting, or using the hit and run.

"I know I am criticized," he said, "but that doesn't bother me. What would really bother me is if the fans were quiet, if they didn't care.

"The fans in Cleveland care. As long as there is a voice, it shows they are passionate."

Wedge, 38, was born and raised in Fort Wayne., Ind., where his parents (Tim and Nina) still live. Tim Wedge, who never played organized baseball, works in trucking; Nina is a registered nurse.

Parents usually have a profound influence on their children. It's no accident Wedge is detailed to the point that the location of players lockers in the clubhouse are often dictated by their personalities.

"When I was a kid," Wedge said, "every day when I came home from school, there was list of things for me and my brother to do.

"We were responsible for them, and it was expected we'd do them . . . or else."

Tim Wedge might have never played organized baseball, but that does not stop him from telephoning his son on occasion. "He does a lot of second-guessing," said Eric Wedge, smiling.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

[email protected], 216-999-4479

 

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CPD

2/16/06

INDIANS INSIDER
Shapiro shrugs off WBC fear


Thursday, February 16, 2006 Burt Graeff
Plain Dealer Reporter
Winter Haven, Fla.- Indians General Manager Mark Shapiro has mixed feelings regarding C.C. Sabathia's participation in next month's World Baseball Classic.

Sabathia, whose 69 career victories are the most in big-league baseball for any pitcher under 26, was one of four starters named to the U.S. squad.

Sabathia, Roger Clemens, Dontrelle Willis and Jake Peavy were named starters on the 14-man pitching staff. The 16-team tournament runs from March 3-20.

Peavy is scheduled to start for the U.S. team in its March 7 opener against Mexico.

"I wear two hats on this," Shapiro said. "I am a little nervous about it from the standpoint of potential for injury, but I am supportive of what Major League Baseball is doing here."

Sabathia, who arrived at Chain of Lakes Park on Wednesday, shrugged off the notion that arm issues could be involved with participating in a preseason event.

"I feel good," he said. "I've been on the Indians' throwing program and don't see any problems.

"Actually, I am looking forward to representing my country."

Sabathia will be on a strict pitch count. "It will be strange, though, going out there and pitching in real competition so early," he said.

Sign here, please:

Twenty-three players on the 40-man roster are unsigned for 2006.

None of the 23 is eligible for arbitration. Among the most notable unsigned:

Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore and Jhonny Peralta.

Lee, Sizemore and Peralta were among MLB's biggest bargains last season.

Lee (18-5, 3.79 ERA) made $345,000; Sizemore (.289 batting average, 22 home runs, 81 RBI) made $318,300; and Peralta (.292 batting average, 24 home runs, 78 RBI) made $316,700.

All will get salary raises, but nothing compared to what they will make down the road - assuming they stay productive.

March 11 is the final date to renew contracts for unsigned players.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

[email protected], 216-999-4479

 

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PlainDealer

2/17/06

<TABLE class=bg0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=428 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=418>

[FONT=arial,sans-serif]Thursday, February 16, 2006[/FONT]​

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[FONT=arial,sans-serif]Indians ink Peralta
The Tribe have signed shorstop Jhonny Peralta to a one-year contract for the 2006 season. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Peralta hit .292 with 24 home runs and 78 RBI in his first full season in the big leagues.

The Indians began reporting to Chain of Lakes Park in Winter Haven today for the start of spring training. Pitchers and catchers will undergo physicals tomorrow with the first workout scheduled for Saturday.
​

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

PlainDealer

2/17/06

INDIANS INSIDER


Wedge sets up Mota for chance to fill Howry role





Friday, February 17, 2006

Burt Graeff

Plain Dealer Reporter

Winter Haven, Fla.- The departure of set-up man Bob Howry to the Chicago Cubs created a significant hole in the Tribe's bullpen.

Howry, who appeared in a club-record 79 games (7-4, 2.47 ERA), created the hole when he agreed to a three-year, $12 million contract with the Chicago Cubs.

Manager Eric Wedge said on Thursday that recently acquired right-hander Guillermo Mota will get the first opportunity to fill Howry's spot.

Mota, who missed time last season with elbow and shoulder problems, was part of the January trade that sent outfielder Coco Crisp to Boston and also landed third baseman Andy Marte and catcher Kelly Shoppach in Cleveland.

"[Mota] will get the first shot," Wedge said, "but it could turn into being a collective effort, with several guys there."

Wedge said others who could be seen in the eighth inning to get to closer Bob Wickman are Rafael Betancourt, Fernando Cabrera, Matt Miller and Scott Sauerbeck.

Howry was used often down the stretch last season, appearing in 30 games of the last 56 games from August to early October. "I can't see that happening here," Wedge said. "I rode Howry hard because he was hot. That was an unusual case."

Eyes right:

Ohioan Brad Snyder, an outfielder ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the Indians' minor-league system by Baseball America, is making his second appearance in big-league camp.

His first appearance in 2004 was forgettable. Early in training camp, Snyder had an eye infection that sidelined him for a portion of the season.

"The doctors never did figure out what caused it," said Snyder, who is from Bellevue, Ohio. "It was scary."

Snyder, a first-round pick in 2003, split time at Class A Kinston and Class AA Akron last season - combining to hit .280, with 22 home runs and 82 RBI. He is a free-swinger and fanned 158 times in 513 at-bats.

Finally:
The Indians signed shortstop Jhonny Peralta to a one-year deal, trimming the number of unsigned players to 22. . . . Pitchers and catchers are scheduled for physicals today. Their first workout is Saturday. . . . Bob Rich Sr., whose family has owned the Indians' Class AAA Buffalo Bisons since 1983, died Wednesday in Palm Beach, Fla. He was 92.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

[email protected], 216-999-4479

PlainDealer

2/17/06

INDIANS SPRING TRAINING
All sighs back on Wickman


Friday, February 17, 2006

Burt Graeff
Plain Dealer Reporter

Winter Haven, Fla.

-- Making good on 45 of 50 save opportunities should be enough to avoid sweating job security.
In Bob Wickman's case, it wasn't.

Wickman, 37, is back with the Indians, but only after General Manager Mark Shapiro's pursuit of free agents Trevor Hoffman and B.J. Ryan failed to pan out.

Hoffman, 38, remained with the San Diego Padres -- signing a two-year, $13.5 million deal. Reportedly, he declined an Indians' three-year, $24 million offer.

Ryan, 30, hit the jackpot. He signed a five-year, $47 million deal with Toronto after saving 36 games for Baltimore last season. It was the largest contract awarded a relief pitcher.

Try as they might, the Indians are stuck with Wickman, and that might not be bad.

If Wickman feels dissed because the Indians looked to replace him, he's not letting on.

"As far as the two guys the Indians talked to," said Wickman, "who wouldn't talk to them?

"One [Ryan] is a young phenom. The other [Hoffman] has more than 400 [436] saves. I would have done the same thing."

With Hoffman and Ryan out of the picture, the Indians signed Wickman to a one-year, $5 million contract in December.

The contract calls for an additional $150,000 if he finishes 50 games, $250,000 for finishing 55, $300,000 for 60 and $300,000 for 65.

Finishing 55 games, which he did last season, is reachable.

Wickman said he talked to five teams before re-signing with the Tribe. He would not identify the other teams. "I talked to five teams, cut it to three, but I wanted to be back with the Indians," Wickman said.

"Mark [Shapiro] never let on that I would not be back."

At times, Wickman's saves are messy, many coming with men on base that he's put there. The Indians are concerned with this, and the nine home runs in 62 innings he gave up. They're also worried just how much longer Wickman's right elbow, which was surgically repaired in December 2002, will hold up.

So far, so good.

Wickman's saves might occasionally be messy, but the bottom line is this: since returning from Tommy John surgery in July 2004, he's 58-of-64 in save opportunities - 13-of-14 in 2004 and a career-high 45-of-50 last season.

Wickman often worked his way out of the messes he created by holding opposing batters to a .149 (13-of-87) average with runners on base - lowest among American League relief pitchers. The average dipped to .094 (5-of-53) with runners in scoring position.

The Indians record when Wickman pitched: 51-13.

"Right now, I feel good," Wickman said. "As long as I'm healthy, I will continue to pitch. My family and I are very appreciative of what has happened since the surgery - especially knowing that it could have been over.
"It has been fun pitching pain-free."

Tribe manager Eric Wedge said the opportunity to land a closer with a multiyear deal is why Hoffman and Ryan were sought.

"With Bob, it was a one-year deal," Wedge said. "With the others, it was multiyear options.

"This is not to say we're not confident in Bob. We're very confident in him. He had an outstanding season. We couldn't ask him to do anything more."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

[email protected], 216-999-4479

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ESPN

2/17/06

<!-- begin this div --><!-- begin leftcol --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top>MLB Power Rankings: Week 1......Indians come in at a suprising #4.

<TABLE class=tablehead cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3><TBODY><TR class=oddrow><TD></TD></TR><TR class=evenrow><TD></TD><TD>4</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>Indians</TD><TD>93-69</TD><TD>Overcoming last September's stretch-drive failures early will be key. How much will they miss Coco Crisp?</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

2/18/06

INDIANS SPRING TRAINING
Michaels wedges his way into left field


Saturday, February 18, 2006

Burt Graeff
Plain Dealer Reporter

Winter Haven, Fla.- Jason Michaels sounds like manager Eric Wedge's kind of player.

Wedge constantly harps on respecting the game, playing every play all the way through, ramping up, etc., etc.

"I like to get my uniform dirty," said Michaels, the Indians' new left fielder.

Music to Wedge's ears.

Michaels, ac quired in a trade that sent left-handed pitcher Arthur Rhodes to Phil adelphia, re places Coco Crisp in left.

The fan backlash over the trade that sent Crisp to Boston has yet to die down. Crisp was a popular player who hit .300, with 16 home runs and 69 RBI in 145 games last season. Crisp played a solid left, but scouts said he never completely utilized his speed.

"I know about that backlash, but I am not going to think about it," Michaels said. "If I was to start thinking about things like that, it will affect my play."

So what are the Indians getting in Michaels, who spent all eight of his professional years in Philadelphia before the January trade?

In 105 games last season, Michaels hit .304 with four home runs and 31 RBI. He walked 44 times, struck out 45 times and had an on-base percentage of .399.

Batting second for the Phillies, where he is ticketed to bat for the Indians, he hit .336 (45-of-134). After the sixth inning, he hit .356 (37-of-104)

"I saw him a lot in the minor leagues," Wedge said. "He is the type of guy you do not like to play against, but one of those guys you like to have on your team.

"He puts up quality at-bats and is a good outfielder. Mentally, and physically, he is a tough kid."

Michaels, a 6-foot, 206-pounder who bats and throws right-handed, has hit left-handed pitching well (.310 batting average) and right-handed pitching reasonably well (.277) throughout his career.

He played for extended stretches with the Phillies but never has gotten the opportunity to start on a regular basis like he's getting now.

"I was disappointed and excited about being traded," he said. "I was with the Philadelphia organization for a long time, and it was a thrill being in a playoff run like we were last year.

"But I am getting a chance to play everyday for the first time in my career."
Michaels first season of playing significant games was 2002, when he appeared in 81 as a part-time outfielder behind Bobby Abreu in right and Doug Glanville in center.

In 2003, Michaels appeared in 76 games, again as a part-timer behind Abreu in right and Marlon Byrd in center. Hitting .330 with five home runs and 17 RBI, he got a boost in playing time.

In 2004, Michaels hit .274 with 10 home runs and 40 RBI in 115 games - platooning behind Abreu in right, Byrd in center and Pat Burrell in left.

Last season, Michaels and former Indians outfielder Kenny Lofton platooned in center.

Now, left field is Michaels to lose.

"This is the opportunity I've waited for," he said. "I'm convinced I can be an everyday player."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

[email protected], 216-999-4479

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

2/18/06

INDIANS INSIDER

<H1 class=red>Stanford expects only to start over

</H1>

Saturday, February 18, 2006

Burt Graeff

Plain Dealer Reporter

Winter Haven, Fla.- Baseball has a short memory.

Two years ago in spring training, Jason Stanford pitched his way into the Indians' rotation as the No. 5 starter. Two games into the 2004 season, he was 0-1, with an American League-leading 0.82 ERA.

Elbow discomfort followed the second start. So did Tommy John surgery in July 2004.

Today, Stanford is a virtually forgotten pitcher in training camp, someone attempting to revive what looked to be a promising career.

"I'm still not 100 percent, so I can't come here with any expectations," Stanford said. "It's been a long time since I've faced any major-league hitters."

Stanford's most recent appearance in a big-league game occurred on April 15, 2004, when he gave up one hit and one earned run in six innings of a 3-0 loss to Minnesota.

"That was a long time ago, and I don't expect anyone to remember me, or what I did," he said. "I worked hard to get that fifth spot, lost it so quickly, but I can't dwell on it."

In rehabilitation stints last year at Class AAA Buffalo, Class AA Akron, Class A Lake County and Class A Mahoning Valley, Stanford pitched 24 1/3 innings, giving up seven runs.

"This has been tough both physically and mentally, but I have been itching to get to this point," he said.

No matter what happens, the year will not be a waste. Stanford, 29, and a Cavaliers dance team member are engaged to be married in November.

Lucky seven?

Tim Laker, 36, is one of seven catchers in camp. Like Stanford, Laker said, "I'm here with no expectations."

Laker, whose pro career began with Montreal's organization in 1988, played three years with the Indians - 2001, 2003 and 2004 - before signing with Tampa Bay last season. In one at-bat with the Rays, he struck out. He knows the end of his career is near. "I'd like to work in some capacity with the Indians," he said. "I like this organization."

Laker was issued uniform No. 13. He's the first to wear it since Omar Vizquel left after the 2004 season. "Now, if I could only do some of the things Omar did," Laker said.

Finally:

A report out of Puerto Rico said that Juan Gonzalez, 36, who made the Indians' 25-man roster last spring and was limited to one at-bat during the regular season because of repeated hamstring issues, wanted to work out at the club's minor-league complex in Winter Haven - hoping to showcase what he has left to other prospective teams. The Indians turned down Gonzalez's request. . . . Twenty-three pitchers and seven catchers reported to camp Friday. All passed physicals. Manager Eric Wedge and GM Mark Shapiro met individually with each player for about five minutes.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

2/18/06

INDIANS

<H1 class=red>Hall to be parked in center

</H1>

Saturday, February 18, 2006

Tom Breckenridge

Plain Dealer Reporter

The Indians' greatest players, living and dead, will gather one day soon in center field.

With little fanfare, the Indians on Friday gained city approval for a Hall of Fame park, to take shape on the center-field terraces at Jacobs Field.

The Indians aren't sure if the baseball shrine will open this year or next. It will be free for fans to check out.

We've been thinking for a number of years about where we can put a Hall of Fame that fans could see while at the ballpark," Indians spokesman Bob DiBiasio said.

The preliminary design calls for player monuments arranged in a circular trellis on the upper tier. A linear trellis would frame monuments on the lower level.

The two tiers would be shrouded in trees and arborvitae, providing a green background for batters trying to hit major-league pitching.

The current terraces, with a few sets of trees and picnic benches, are a rather sterile setting, said Tony Coyne, chairman of the Cleveland Planning Commission.

"I think this is a big plus," Coyne said.

The upper tier likely will include monuments to seven Indians who are in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Those seven are among the 20 members of the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame. They are depicted in black-and-white photos around the Jacobs Field concourse, DiBiasio said.

No one has been inducted into the Indians Hall of Fame since 1972. The team plans to have annual induction ceremonies that would be held during a home game in late July, DiBiasio said.

The inductees this year will be the late Al Lopez, who managed the Indians during the 1950s, and the late Addie Joss, a pitcher whose nine-year career ended in 1910, DiBiasio said.

Both are enshrined in Cooperstown but not in the Indians Hall of Fame.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

[email protected], 216-999-4695

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

2/19/06

Popular Garko still learning on the job

Slugger to continue workouts at first base

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - Ryan Garko already is an Indians fan favorite, and never mind that he has only one major-league at-bat.
``I spent the whole offseason in California,'' said Garko on Saturday, pleading ignorance about his popularity.
It was not his sole trip to the plate that endeared Garko to Northeast Ohio baseball partisans. He was called up from Triple-A Buffalo to be an emergency third catcher in September and got his first chance to face big-league pitching against the Kansas City Royals at Jacobs Field.
Garko struck out, ending the competitive part of his season, though he didn't know it at the time.
Nevertheless, every Tribe fan who has not been vacationing at the North Pole knows that Garko has a chance to be the Indians' next big thing.
``I'm going to be there,'' he said after a workout at Chain O' Lakes Park. ``One of my goals is to be an everyday player, not a bench guy.''
Having matriculated at Stanford, Garko was taken in the third round of the 2003 draft and began climbing through the Indians' farm system, making resounding noises with his bat each step of the way.
Last year, he reached Triple-A, compiling a .303 average while hitting 19 home runs and amassing 77 RBI in 452 at-bats.
Offense never has been a question mark in the Garko file. It was where to place him in the field. Though he is a career catcher, Garko never was touted as a defensive wizard.
And with the Tribe's No. 1 catcher, Victor Martinez, being both young and talented, there didn't seem to be much reason to keep Garko behind the plate.
First base was the option of choice, and he began playing the position last summer at Buffalo. He continued his education with the Tribe in September and at the Arizona Fall League in October. So how much more time does he have to spend learning to play first?
``He's getting there, and he wants to do it,'' manager Eric Wedge said. ``We wouldn't have asked him to prioritize this way, if we didn't think he could do it.''
In addition to the 30 games he played in Arizona, Garko spent the winter in Southern California, doing agility drills and jumping rope.
``I also lost about 10 pounds,'' he said. ``I was doing all of this stuff to make my feet quicker. I've had plenty of instruction at first. What I need more than anything is innings.''
Garko looks comfortable taking ground balls off a coach's fungo bat, but he is keenly aware of the difference between receiving a pitch and scooping up balls slapped off maple or pine.
``The hardest thing is reading balls off the bat,'' he said. ``I'm used to reading balls out of the pitcher's hand.''
Most fans think it should take a professional baseball player about 45 minutes to learn to play first base. While the position is less demanding than, say, shortstop or catcher, it is not as easy as it looks.
In addition to fielding ground balls and learning to judge high pop flies, a first baseman has to know how far to his right to range for a bouncer, where to position himself for throws from the outfield and when to cover second base or even home plate.
There also is the matter of picking low throws out of the dirt while keeping a toe on the bag and tagging a runner bent on knocking the ball out of the first baseman's glove.
``If you have a bad first baseman, you really notice it, because the other guys start picking up errors,'' Garko said.
Indians officials also have said that Garko is not a finished product at the plate, despite a persistent .300 batting average and obvious power potential in the minors.
``I think the biggest thing I have to learn is the way big-league pitchers work a hitter,'' Garko said. ``Pitch selection is very important.''
At 25, Garko is anxious to begin his major-league career, but he is wise enough to know he can't push it. The Indians will begin the season with a platoon of Ben Broussard and Eduardo Perez at first. That leaves Garko back at Buffalo.
``The worst thing for me would be to come up here and not be ready,'' he said. ``Starting with opening night in April, games in the big leagues speed up a lot.''
Barring an unexpected event during spring training, Garko will wait his turn, but he might not have to wait long.
``I would expect Ryan to be up here sometime during the season,'' Wedge said. ``I just don't know in what role it will be.''
With this ring
It took awhile, but Jason Stanford finally thought of the perfect venue to ask Kara Leonard to marry him: next to a metal detector at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
``We were going through security, and I got down on my knees at the metal detector and pulled out the ring,'' said the lefty. ``She was pretty surprised. We were going on a trip to the Napa Valley, and she thought it would happen there.''
Stanford, who has always worn contact lenses, has switched to glasses.
``The contacts were always falling out or shifting around,'' he said. ``I tried glasses and they work fine.''
New farm team?
The Indians are taking steps to put a short-season rookie team in the Gulf Coast League.
The Tribe already has short-season teams in the Appalachian League (Burlington) and New York-Penn League (Mahoning Valley), so why add a third team?
The Appalachian League traditionally has been a place to send high school draftees and first-year Latin players. But a change in league rules has increased the age of most players, who are more advanced than the novices. The Gulf Coast League would correct that problem for the Tribe.
Biggest obstacle to finishing the deal is negotiating the use of Chain O' Lakes Park for Gulf Coast League games.
The Tribe probably wouldn't field three short-season teams indefinitely, but farm director John Farrell said, ``We'll re-evaluate after the season and see what's the best fit for us.''
Another suitor
It has come to light that Apopka, Fla., a northern suburb of Orlando, expressed interest several months ago in building the Indians a stadium and practice facilities for spring training.
Money is the problem, of course. And it's not clear whether Apopka still intends to pursue a deal.
Mr. Versatility
While manager Eric Wedge wants Garko to concentrate on learning first base, he does not want him to forget how to be a catcher.
``Ryan will catch until we start the full camp (position players report),'' Wedge said. ``Once everybody is here, his primary focus will be first.''
Even if Garko becomes the team's everyday first baseman, he can also be the emergency No. 3 catcher.