Indians Tidbits (2006 season)..

[JCOSU86]

Does anyone know if the "free" games on WKYC will be shown in Columbus on free TV?

Anybody?

 

[CleveBucks]

I'm guessing yes. I'd bet Time Warner will pick them up on channel 24. Or maybe the local UPN station will have the rights in Columbus, like they do for the Cavs.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

3/1/06

Posted on Wed, Mar. 01, 2006
Sabathia seasoned on mound, in mind

Indians ace faces expectations, makes adjustments

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - Some fans might not find an apt comparison between C.C. Sabathia and LeBron James.
That's because Sabathia has endured much more criticism than the Cavaliers' stellar forward. Sabathia learned long ago that cranky fans and media operatives come with the territory, especially when you're a rookie anointed as a future staff ace.
As irrational as it is to put that kind of label on a 20-year-old, it seemed to make sense when Sabathia posted a 17-5 record in 2001, his first season with the Indians.
Sabathia's career hasn't taken a direct upward path, though. There have been many bumps in the road, including the first half of 2005. In James' first three years, he has been all and more than anyone could have envisioned.
Nevertheless, the two athletes have much in common. Both began competing at the highest levels at very young ages (James was 18), both found immediate success and have handled the emotional rigors of stardom with aplomb.
Considering the similarities in their careers, it's not surprising that they know one another.
``I started following LeBron when he was a freshman in high school,'' Sabathia said. ``Jimmy Warfield told me about him and took me to his games.''
Warfield is the late Tribe trainer known for his wide-ranging array of friendships.
Sabathia met James for the first time during his junior year at St. Vincent-St. Mary High. They are not the closest of friends, but friendly acquaintances who have kept in touch.
``I know LeBron enough to talk to him,'' Sabathia said. ``We hung out some when the Cavaliers came to Oakland (where Sabathia is from).''
Sabathia, who played basketball as a teen, has known James' teammate Drew Gooden even before they played against each other in high school.
Maybe it's more than a coincidence that Sabathia became a fan of James, sometimes coming to Cleveland in the dead of winter to watch him play. Sabathia has a deep appreciation of what James faced when he came into the NBA as a potential successor to Michael Jordan.
``I don't think there was as much pressure on me as there was on him,'' Sabathia said. ``Maybe locally, I had a lot, around Cleveland. But with him it was national. It's a joke what he's had to go through.''
Sabathia has been hounded by doubters, who think that he's overrated.
Going into this season, Sabathia has yet to earn the kind of reputation as true No. 1 starters Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux and Pedro Martinez. Even so, his 69 career wins are the most in the majors by a pitcher younger than 26.
Sabathia has gone through an obvious learning process, maybe moreso in the first half of last season than ever before. He explains that the changes he made were strictly in terms of pitching mechanics and objectives.
``I'm trying not to overthrow,'' he said. ``I have to be consistent with my delivery, and I want to throw strikes.
``I would go through a bad stretch, then compound it by overthrowing, then overthrowing some more.''
Sabathia can throw 98-mph fastballs, but that doesn't mean he can thrive by throwing hard. For one thing, it's more difficult to command that kind of pitch. Moreover, at warp speed, a fastball can sometimes lose movement.
When Sabathia posted a 2-6 record and 6.76 ERA in June and July, he knew that he had to do something. In addition to giving up far too many runs, his pitch counts skyrocketed, forcing him out of games after five innings, even when he was holding down rival offenses.
``Carl (Willis) and Luis (Isaac) were a huge part of it,'' said Sabathia of his pitching coach and bullpen coach.
The cure was relatively simple, but first, Sabathia had to change his mind-set. No longer could he dominate hitters merely by throwing hard.
Instead, he settled into a routine by delivering 93-94-mph fastballs, mixing in plenty of breaking pitches and change-ups. To keep his pitch-count down, strikeouts had to take a lower priority, and command of both sides of the plate became an objective.
The goal: Keep batters off balance, make them swing early in the count and rely on the defense.
Did it work? The last two months of the season, Sabathia compiled a 9-1 record and 2.24 ERA.
Now the question is whether his new approach will carry through into this season.
``I think a lot of the things C.C. went through will be lasting,'' General Manager Mark Shapiro said. ``Last year, he hit rock bottom, but he worked out of it and made adjustments.''
Sabathia still is expected to be the ace, but he doesn't take such talk to heart, having learned that it serves only to put more pressure on him.
``I definitely think I have the ability to do that, and I want to do it,'' he said. ``But I don't take it as seriously as I did in the past. Before, being younger, I tried to do too much.''

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

3/1/06

From Tribe strength to ...

Wednesday, March 1, 2006


<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]The Associated Press [/FONT]
<TABLE style="MARGIN: 10px -3px 15px 5px; POSITION: relative" width=300 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD>

AP Steven Senne SET FOR BULLPEN Indians pitcher Scott Sauerbeck delivers a pitch during an intersquad game Tuesday in Winter Haven, Fla. The Indians, through trades and free agency, now have holes in their bullpen that must be filled.
​

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Beginning Thursday

The Repository’s Andy Call begins his daily report from Indians spring training in Winter Haven, Fla.



WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Two years ago, the Indians had one of the worst bullpens in the American League. Last season, Cleveland’s relievers were among baseball’s best.
So it’s understandable why General Manager Mark Shapiro says the bullpen is his biggest concern going into opening day.
“I think that bullpens, in general, are unpredictable,” he said.
Two seasons ago, the Indians finished with an 80-82 record with a bullpen that consistently blew leads and derailed the club’s midseason climb in the standings by wasting 21 saves in 36 tries, posting a major-league high 5.60 ERA.
It was a different story last season, when the bullpen was the best in the league, finishing 93-69 and keeping Cleveland in the playoff hunt until the final weekend.
But a new look raises questions about what bullpen will show up this season.
Right-hander Bob Howry, who made 79 appearances and was one of the best setup men in baseball last season, signed with the Chicago Cubs. Two other setup men, right-hander David Riske and left-hander Arthur Rhodes, were traded.
“The bullpen’s going to be the biggest question mark heading into this year,” Shapiro said. “You could bring the exact same bullpen back and there’s a chance it could not perform as well.”
Closer Bob Wickman, whose 45 saves tied him for the league lead, returns. The right-hander’s numbers give the Indians reason for both hope and concern.
Wickman blew five saves all season and held opposing batters to an AL-best .149 average with runners in scoring position. On the flip side, he was frequently pitching out of trouble, allowing 57 hits and 21 walks in 62 innings.
While the Indians are confident Wickman still will be effective, they did pursue free agents B.J. Ryan and Trevor Hoffman over the winter. If the Indians are going to challenge for the postseason, Wickman must have a good season.
“The bullpen starts with the closer,” said Manager Eric Wedge. “If you have a guy you can count on, it allows you to keep people in roles.”
The setup roles might be a work in progress early in the season.
The Indians hope they can depend on right-hander Guillermo Mota, acquired from Boston, but he had arm problems last season with Florida, an issue that stalled the trade with the Red Sox.
“When healthy, he’s been one of the most effective relievers in baseball,” Shapiro said.
Among those who return, Wedge can choose from right-handers Rafael Betancourt, Fernando Cabrera and Matt Miller, along with left-hander Scott Sauerbeck.
Betancourt was 4-3 with a 2.79 ERA last season. He struck out 73 and walked 17 in 67 2/3 innings.
“I think if you look what he’s done over the last two seasons, he’s been one of the most dominant bullpen pitchers in the American League,” Shapiro said.
Cabrera, 24, is the most intriguing arm in the bullpen. He was 2-1 with a 1.47 ERA in 15 appearances last season.
“He’ll be in the middle and hopefully we’ll let him work his way toward the back,” said Shapiro.
Miller, a sidearmer, held opposing hitters to a .212 average last season, but pitched once after the All-Star break because of a sore elbow. He has been throwing pain free in spring training.
Sauerbeck, the only lefty in the bullpen, went 1-0 with a 4.04 ERA in 58 appearances last season. Notes LHP C.C. Sabathia will decide today if he’s going to play for the United States team in the World Baseball Classic. “It’s a big decision,” he said. “It would be an honor to pitch for my country, but I don’t think I’m game ready.” Sabathia, who threw a scoreless inning in an intra-squad game Tuesday, has been named to pitch the Indians season opener against Chicago on April 2. ...RF Casey Blake homered and SS Brandon Phillips had a two-run single in the intra-squad game. ...LHP Cliff Lee threw a scoreless inning while Betancourt struck out the side in his inning of work. ... Jake Westbrook will start the exhibition opener Thursday against Houston.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

3/2/06

Indians notebook

Sabathia opts not to pitch in

Ace says he's not ready to go full tilt in WBC

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - C.C. Sabathia cleared up his status concerning USA Baseball and the World Baseball Classic.
``I'm not going to pitch,'' Sabathia said Wednesday. ``I don't feel like I'm ready to pitch in meaningful games this early in the year. I'm honored to be asked, and in different circumstances, I'd love to play.''
Sabathia, the Indians' left-handed ace, would have made the final 30-man roster for the United States in the 16-nation tournament that begins next week.
Although he accepted the invitation to play long ago, he began to have second thoughts recently.
``I started thinking about it a week or two before I came to camp,'' Sabathia said. ``I was a little stiff and thought, `I have to be ready to pitch in a month.' I figured that I wouldn't be helping Team USA, myself or the Indians.
``It's been a tough decision. I talked to my wife, my mom and my family. It just didn't feel right. There was something in the back of my mind. Pitching in front of 30,000 or 40,000 people is different than pitching (an exhibition game) in Kissimmee.''
General Manager Mark Shapiro said the Indians did not advise Sabathia to skip the tournament.
``Buck Martinez (Team USA manager) called to tell me about C.C.,'' Shapiro said. ``Until then, I didn't know anything about it.''
Asked about the reaction by Team USA, Sabathia said, ``They were a little disappointed, but they understand my commitment to the guys in this clubhouse.''
As for critics who believe that Sabathia's priority should be pitching for his country, he said, ``I don't care at all about that. This is my career, my decision. This is what I do for a living, and I have to make sure I can do it. So they can say whatever they want.''
Pitchers rule
In the second of two intrasquad games, pitchers again dominated, with Jason Stanford striking out the side and issuing the only walk.
Twelve pitchers each threw one inning, giving up a total of four runs and nine hits. Infielder Ramon Vazquez, who doubled Tuesday, hit a home run, the only extra-base hit.
Second baseman Brandon Phillips was hit in the fingers of his left hand, but manager Eric Wedge said no damage was done.
``The trainer said he was fine,'' Wedge said.
Two more years
The Tribe extended its player development agreement with Class A Kinston two more seasons, through 2008.
That's one
The home opener against the Minnesota Twins on April 7 has sold out more than a month earlier than last year's initial Jacobs Field game. This will be the Indians' 13th consecutive Opening Day sellout.
Single-game seats for all other home games go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Jacobs Field box office and at Tribe Team Shops. In addition, fans fan call 1-866-488-7423, visit Ticketmaster outlets or log onto Indians.com.
Marching onward
Exhibition season opens today with the Tribe visiting Kissimmee to play the Houston Astros.
Jake Westbrook will start against Houston's Dan Wheeler. Scott Sauerbeck, Rafael Betancourt, Fernando Cabrera and Andrew Brown will follow.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

3/2/06

Phillips taking last cut

Indians prospect out of options, underdog to Vazquez as backup infielder

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - It happens to every general manager on every team in the big leagues.
The key phenom in a blockbuster trade tanks after failing season after season in the minors. In the end, he is traded for almost nothing or lost on waivers.
All of this is on the verge of happening to Mark Shapiro. On June 27, 2002, the Indians general manager caught the attention of every fan in Northeast Ohio when he swapped staff ace Bartolo Colon and Tim Drew to the Montreal Expos for Brandon Phillips, Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee and Lee Stevens.
The trade has been a raging success for the Tribe, thanks to the development of Sizemore, who turned into one of the best all-around young outfielders, and Lee who amassed 32 wins in his first two full seasons as a big-league starter.
This comes as no surprise to Shapiro and his lieutenants. Sizemore and Lee were highly regarded prospects in the Expos' farm system. But the cornerstone of the deal was Phillips, the can't-miss 21-year-old shortstop.
The Indians weren't the only team that thought highly of Phillips, who was the apple of the eye to many general managers. As it turned out, Shapiro was the guy who got him.
Fast forward 3 ½ years. After all or parts of four seasons at Triple-A Buffalo and four partial seasons in the majors, Phillips has yet to arrive, and the clock is running.
When he came to spring training, Phillips was out of options. That means if the Tribe wants to send him to Triple-A again, he will have to clear waivers, giving every team a shot at him.
Of course, if another club puts in a claim, it must add him to its 40-man roster. Shapiro doesn't think that's much of an impediment.
``I doubt that Brandon will clear waivers, but it's not impossible,'' Shapiro said.
Phillips is competing for a utility infielder spot with Ramon Vazquez. Phillips is the underdog, even though his failure to win a place on the roster probably would mean the end of his career with the Indians.
To this point in camp, Phillips is not talking to the media, though he said that will change once exhibition season begins.
Vazquez has experience at short and second, and he has proven to be a competent, if not superior, hitter. Phillips' play at short and second is more than solid. He can make the spectacular play, but his workmanship at the plate continues to be a liability.
It wasn't supposed to be that way, but Phillips has had a glaring weakness. He should be a leadoff-type hitter but instead swings like Harmon Killebrew. Phillips is not unmindful of this tendency. How could he be? He has been instructed repeatedly in the art and science of contact hitting.
In his repeated, albeit sometimes brief, major-league career, Phillips has compiled a .206 batting average in 432 at-bats.
Team officials would be thrilled if Phillips were suddenly to fulfill his potential this spring, but they aren't getting their hopes up.
``For a young player, Brandon has been through a lot in a short period of time,'' manager Eric Wedge said, referring to the periodic detours Phillips has endured.
With fingers crossed, Tribe officials will watch Phillips closely in exhibition games, looking for signs of emotional maturity as well as improved swing mechanics.
``I think Brandon has grown up a lot,'' Wedge said. ``Nobody said it was going to be easy. But I think Brandon has a better understanding of the game and hopefully of himself.''
There's a question of how much Phillips' offensive problems revolve around attitude.
``You always have to believe a certain percentage is mental,'' Wedge said. ``But Brandon also has had some fundamental issues with his swing that involve balance.''
Even if Phillips somehow remains in the Tribe organization, at some point it will become counterproductive to send him to the minors. Whether that time has arrived for Phillips is unknown.
``That's the $50,000 question,'' Wedge said. ``You have to balance what is best for the player and what is best for the organization.
``Three or four years ago, we could afford to do what's best for the player. But now, we have to do what's best for the club. Who offers us the most to win ballgames? That's the way we have to look at this.''
When a high-profile youngster fails, everyone in the front office and the player development department feels it.
``You have to take some responsibility,'' Wedge said. ``If you don't, you shouldn't be doing this.''
Shapiro still believes that Phillips can play.
``Brandon Phillips is going to be a good major-leaguer,'' Shapiro said. ``The question is when and where.''

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

3/2/06

INDIANS NOTEBOOK: Representing countries ‘very special’ for players

Thursday, March 2, 2006


<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]INDIANS NOTEBOOK ANDY CALL[/FONT]


<TABLE style="MARGIN: 10px -3px 15px 5px; POSITION: relative" width=300 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD>Related Stories
Indians spring training: No C.C. sayonara

<HR align=left width="80%"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - The Indians will gather in Kissimmee this afternoon for the first game of 2006. Then, a few hours later, they’ll scatter.
Five Indians players will leave after today’s spring training game against Houston to participate in the World Baseball Classic. A sixth player, left-hander C.C. Sabathia, withdrew from the U.S. squad Wednesday.
Catcher Victor Martinez and right-handed reliever Rafael Betancourt will train in Clearwater with the team from Venezuela. First baseman Eduardo Perez and right-handed reliever Fernando Cabrera will report to Port St. Lucie with the team from Puerto Rico. Second baseman Ronnie Belliard will join the Dominican Republic squad in Orlando.
“It’s very special when you get to represent your country,” Martinez said. “It’s a big thing for the people back in Venezuela. It’s all they talk about. They respect this tournament a lot.”
Three of the four pools begin games Tuesday in Florida, Arizona and Puerto Rico. Pool A play in Tokyo begins today. The semifinal rounds will take place March 12-16 in Anaheim and San Juan and the finals will be March 18-20 in San Diego.
“This is very special, for my family and for my country,” Betancourt said. “I think we’ll have a good team.”
Indians Manager Eric Wedge said he is not worried about how his players will be used during the event.

TODAY The Indians open exhibition play today at 1 p.m. against Houston at Kissimmee. Jake Westbrook will start for Cleveland. He is scheduled to be followed by Scott Sauerbeck, Rafael Betancourt, Fernando Cabrera and Andrew Brown.
INTRASQUAD REPORT Team B fans will be happy to know their squad was a 3-1 winner over Team A in Wednesday’s intrasquad game. Ramon Vazquez hit a solo home run off Jason Davis. The next batter, Brandon Phillips, then took an up-and-in pitch off his hands, but Wedge said Phillips was not seriously injured. Kelly Shoppach belted a two-run double off Jeremy Guthrie. Jason Stanford allowed a hit and a walk, but struck out the side.
WHO’S ON FIRST? Travis Hafner played three innings at first base for Team B. “We want Travis to be an option there for us,” Wedge said. “He’ll be out there once or twice a week (during spring training).” Hafner did make a nice scoop of a low throw in the dirt.
ALL GONE The Indians announced Wednesday that all tickets for the April 7 home opener against Minnesota have been sold. Every home opener since Jacobs Field opened in 1994 has been sold out. Single-game tickets for the 2006 season go on sale Saturday.
THE DOTTED LINE The Indians signed Michael Aubrey, Fernando Cabrera, Fausto Carmona, Jason Davis, Jason Dubois, Ryan Garko, Franklin Gutierrez, Andy Marte, Edward Mujica, Rafael Perez, Brad Snyder and Kazuhito Tadano to one-year contracts Wednesday. None were eligible for arbitration. Five players remained unsigned. Reach Repository sports writer Andy Call at (330) 580-8346 or e-mail [email protected].
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[LoKyBuckeye]

LINK

Sabathia seasoned on mound, in mind
BY SHELDON OCKER
Knight Ridder Newspapers

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Some fans might not find an apt comparison between C.C. Sabathia and LeBron James.

That's because Sabathia has endured much more criticism than the Cavaliers' stellar forward. Sabathia learned long ago that cranky fans and media operatives come with the territory, especially when you're a rookie anointed as a future staff ace.

As irrational as it is to put that kind of label on a 20-year-old, it seemed to make sense when Sabathia posted a 17-5 record in 2001, his first season with the Indians.

Sabathia's career hasn't taken a direct upward path, though. There have been many bumps in the road, including the first half of 2005. In James' first three years, he has been all and more than anyone could have envisioned.
Nevertheless, the two athletes have much in common. Both began competing at the highest levels at very young ages (James was 18), both found immediate success and have handled the emotional rigors of stardom with aplomb.

Considering the similarities in their careers, it's not surprising that they know one another.

"I started following LeBron when he was a freshman in high school," Sabathia said. "Jimmy Warfield told me about him and took me to his games."
Warfield is the late Tribe trainer known for his wide-ranging array of
friendships.

Sabathia met James for the first time during his junior year at St. Vincent-St. Mary High. They are not the closest of friends, but friendly acquaintances who have kept in touch.

"I know LeBron enough to talk to him," Sabathia said. "We hung out some when the Cavaliers came to Oakland (where Sabathia is from)."

Sabathia, who played basketball as a teen, has known James' teammate Drew Gooden even before they played against each other in high school.

Maybe it's more than a coincidence that Sabathia became a fan of James, sometimes coming to Cleveland in the dead of winter to watch him play. Sabathia has a deep appreciation of what James faced when he came into the NBA as a potential successor to Michael Jordan.

"I don't think there was as much pressure on me as there was on him," Sabathia said. "Maybe locally, I had a lot, around Cleveland. But with him it was national. It's a joke what he's had to go through."

Sabathia has been hounded by doubters who think that he's overrated.
Going into this season, Sabathia has yet to earn the kind of reputation as true No. 1 starters Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux and Pedro Martinez. Even so, his 69 career wins are the most in the majors by a pitcher younger than 26.

Sabathia has gone through an obvious learning process, maybe more so in the first half of last season than ever before. He explains that the changes he made were strictly in terms of pitching mechanics and objectives.
"I'm trying not to overthrow," he said. "I have to be consistent with my delivery, and I want to throw strikes.

"I would go through a bad stretch, then compound it by overthrowing, then overthrowing some more."

Sabathia can throw 98-mph fastballs, but that doesn't mean he can thrive by throwing hard. For one thing, it's more difficult to command that kind of pitch. Moreover, at warp speed, a fastball can sometimes lose movement.
When Sabathia posted a 2-6 record and 6.76 ERA in June and July, he knew that he had to do something. In addition to giving up far too many runs, his pitch counts skyrocketed, forcing him out of games after five innings, even when he was holding down rival offenses.

"Carl (Willis) and Luis (Isaac) were a huge part of it," said Sabathia of his pitching coach and bullpen coach.

The cure was relatively simple, but first Sabathia had to change his mind-set. No longer could he dominate hitters merely by throwing hard.

Instead, he settled into a routine by delivering 93-94-mph fastballs, mixing in plenty of breaking pitches and change-ups. To keep his pitch-count down, strikeouts had to take a lower priority, and command of both sides of the plate became an objective.

The goal: keep batters off balance, make them swing early in the count and rely on the defense.

Did it work? The last two months of the season, Sabathia compiled a 9-1 record and 2.24 ERA.
Now the question is whether his new approach will carry through into this
season.

"I think a lot of the things C.C. went through will be lasting," General Manager Mark Shapiro said. "Last year, he hit rock bottom, but he worked out of it and made adjustments."

Sabathia still is expected to be the ace, but he doesn't take such talk to heart, having learned that it serves only to put more pressure on him.

"I definitely think I have the ability to do that, and I want to do it," he said. "But I don't take it as seriously as I did in the past. Before, being younger, I tried to do too much."

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

scout.com (free)

3/3/06

Belliard Homer Helps Tribe Win, 5-2

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

3/3/06

Posted on Fri, Mar. 03, 2006
Westbrook excels at decision-making

Pitcher just wants to eliminate the bad ones

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->KISSIMMEE, FLA. - Maybe Jake Westbrook thought it was an odd question, because he took a long pause before answering:
``What is the significance of having 30 decisions last year?''
``I guess you can look at it like I kept us in lot of games,'' he said after starting the Indians' exhibition opener Thursday against the Houston Astros.
He got that right. Westbrook was 15-15, and some folks would say that's not a big deal. After all, it's ``only'' .500, though most starters don't win half their decisions, let alone starters who make all of their starts, as Westbrook did in 2005.
How many American League pitchers had 30 decisions last year? Westbrook was the only one. Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon was second with 29.
In the National League, Dontrelle Willis and Roy Oswalt each had 32 decisions, and Chris Capuano, Jon Lieber and Jake Peavy had 30.
That puts Westbrook in pretty good company.
Westbrook's season started badly. He compiled a 2-9 record and 5.00 ERA in his first 13 starts through June 9. Some glitches were of his own making, but there were times when run support was lacking.
``I didn't change anything after that,'' Westbrook said. ``I just kept at it. My approach was the same as it was in 2004. I don't know that I pitched much better in the second half than I did the first, but I got more runs.''
That's not quite true. After struggling through 13 starts, Westbrook compiled a 13-6 record and 4.20 ERA the rest of the season.
When the schedule finally played out, Westbrook had pitched more than 200 innings for the second season in a row. He followed his 215 2/3 total in 2004 with 210 2/3 last year.
Manager Eric Wedge doesn't view pitching more than 200 innings for two consecutive seasons as a threat to Westbrook's well-being. For one thing, one man's 200 innings might be another's 250 or 150, depending on how many pitches each throws and how often he faces a dire situation.
``Jake does as great job of taking care of himself,'' Wedge said. ``He has a fantastic routine.''
Westbrook's idea of a great game would be to retire all 27 batters on ground balls and never throw more than three pitches to any hitter. He is not in it for the strikeouts.
A devastating sinker is Westbrook's primary weapon. When it's really working, he might throw it 90 percent of the time. He probably could get through an entire game by throwing nothing but sinkers and be effective.
``I really started to have confidence in my sinker when I got aggressive with it and tried not to be too fine,'' Westbrook said. ``I thought, `This is a really good pitch, and I have to use it as much as I can.' It gets guys swinging early in the count, and it puts balls on the ground.''
As much as he regretted starting the season 2-9, Westbrook's biggest self-criticism concerned another perceived deficiency.
``I wasn't pleased with my season overall,'' he said. ``I felt like I had too many bad games, where I should have had better damage control. There were three, four or five games where I didn't give us a chance to win. That was more frustrating than losing 2-1 or 1-0.''
Of course, every pitcher has games that get out of hand. Westbrook probably didn't go beyond the norm. Moreover, Wedge was impressed by the way Westbrook emerged from his sluggish start.
``Jake does a great job staying on an even keel,'' Wedge said. ``And he's a fighter. He doesn't always show it externally, but it's there internally.''
During the winter, General Manager Mark Shapiro proposed trading Westbrook to the Cincinnati Reds for slugging outfielder Austin Kearns. The deal didn't go anywhere, but Westbrook heard about it.
``I've been traded three times,'' he said. ``It's just the nature of the business. I try not to think anything of it until it actually happens.
``Only the first trade was a shocker, when I went from Colorado to Montreal. But I started looking at it in a positive way: Teams that traded for me wanted me.''
Thursday, Westbrook threw 37 pitches in two innings. He gave up five hits and two runs.
``I felt good,'' he said. ``I gave up some ground-ball hits, and if you're going to give up hits, giving up ground balls is encouraging. I only got a few pitches up.''
As is the case with almost all spring training pitching appearances, the numbers meant little or nothing.
``It was a good work day for Jake,'' Wedge said, summing up the reality of the outing

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

3/3/06

Warming up to sun, Indians

By Terry Pluto

<!-- begin body-content -->KISSIMMEE, FLA - It's sunny, about 80 degrees and I'm watching the Indians' first exhibition game.
Are you jealous yet?
I love these early spring games where managers from both teams sit on folding chairs outside of the dugout, against the backstop, so they can get a better look at the pitches.
I love how pitchers throw an inning or two, then jog along the outfield track while the game goes on.
I love that fans are right on top of the field.
This is being written from Osceola County Stadium, home of the Houston Astros. It's a one-deck deal with only 15 rows of seats. The Tribe's spring home at Chain O' Lakes Park is the same basic setup, only the park is a little older and fans can watch the games from a grassy knoll behind the left-field wall.
I love spring training because the Indians haven't lost a game, at least not a game that counts. I love spring training because anyone is liable to play at any time, especially in the first two weeks.
So manager Eric Wedge had a lineup that included Ramon Vazquez leading off and playing shortstop. Todd Hollandsworth was hitting third with Victor Martinez batting cleanup. Jason Dubois was batting seventh, with rookies Andy Marte and Franklin Gutierrez at the bottom of the lineup.
Did I say it was 80 degrees?
Did I say that in the third inning, I left the press box and decided to sit four rows from the field, behind the plate? Did I say the sun got to be too much, so I moved a few rows back into the shade?
Did I say if you ever get a chance to go to spring training, do it?
Did I say this is a great place to scout? Marte is bigger than advertised. He's listed at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds. I bet he's closer to 210, but he doesn't seem fat.
He's just big and strong.
He also looks pretty good. He hammered a double off Steve Karsay in an intrasquad game earlier in the week. He had a double down the third-base line on this Thursday afternoon. He had one backhanded grounder bounce off his glove for a double -- he should have had it.
He then made that type of play later in the game. He does not appear to be overmatched. As Wedge said, ``He's a natural athlete with soft hands and a good arm at third base.''
The heroes on this day were Vazquez (two-run double) and Ronnie Belliard (three-run homer). Vazquez homered off Jason Davis in an intrasquad game earlier in the week. Belliard looks as big and unathletic as always, yet he made some nice plays at second base and ripped the homer.
Did I mention the part about it being 80 degrees?
It was fun to watch the young Tribe pitchers take their one-inning turns. Jake Westbrook allowed two runs in his two innings, and that was it. The Indians beat the Astros, 5-2.
The impressive part was Rafael Betancourt throwing a scoreless inning. This came after Betancourt whiffed the side in an intrasquad game Tuesday.
Andrew Brown -- bet on him to make the team -- allowed a leadoff triple, then struck out the side. I kept hearing Tom Hamilton from the open window of his radio booth yelling, ``A SWING AND A MISS, HE STRUCK 'IM OUT!''
Fernando Cabrera threw a scoreless inning.
Just a thought: It hurt to lose Bob Howry as a free agent to the Chicago Cubs, but don't be surprised if kid pitchers such as Betancourt, Cabrera and Brown emerge in the bullpen. Wedge really likes Brown, who looks a little like Eric Plunk without the glasses, and throws even harder.
Kaz Tadano pitched the ninth and struck out two for a save.
In between, young arms Tony Sipp (204 strikeouts, 159 innings, 2.60 ERA in Class A last year) and Edward Mujica (24 saves in Class A and Class AA last year) both were impressive. They both are a few years away from Jacobs Field, but they are good enough to dream -- and should be a treat to watch at Canal Park.
And they looked good here, where, in case you missed it, the temperature was 80 degrees.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

3/3/06

Graves confident he can get batters out

Friday, March 3, 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]


<TABLE style="MARGIN: 10px -3px 15px 5px; POSITION: relative" width=300 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD>

GRAVES​

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - You don’t need to possess that long of a memory to recall when Danny Graves was considered a pretty good pitcher.
He was one of the more promising young arms in the game while with the Indians organization from 1995-97. After being sent to the Cincinnati Reds in the ill-fated John Smiley trade, Graves developed into a two-time All-Star (2000, 2004). He put up four consecutive seasons of 27 or more saves from 1999-2002, then saved 41 games in 2004.
Two years later, however, Graves is a 32-year-old pitcher coming off a bad year and trying to keep his career from ending.
He hopes someone in Cleveland’s front office has a good memory.
“Their perception is out of my control,” Graves said. “My main priority this spring is getting guys out. I’m confident in my abilities. At the same time, I still need to prove to them I can pitch at this level. I can prove that by getting guys out.”
Graves is expected to make his first spring training appearance for the Indians this afternoon against Houston at Chain of Lakes Park.
The Reds released Graves in June after 20 mostly forgettable appearances (1-1, 10 saves, 7.36 ERA). The release came just days after an incident during a game against Cleveland when he made an obscene gesture to a fan who was heckling him. Graves said the fan was using racial slurs.
Graves has attributed some of his on-the-field difficulties to being used in the Reds’ starting rotation in 2003. He struggled as a starter (4-15. 5.33), and the fatigue of having worked 169 innings led to some poor pitching mechanics, which led to more failure.
“I’ve had a couple years I can attribute to that bad experiment,” Graves said. “Now, physically, I feel great. The tests I took have shown my shoulder is strong. I think, if I can get my mechanics right, things will work out great.”
The mechanical adjustments began during the first workout of spring training under the watchful eye of veteran Indians bullpen coach Luis Isaac.
“The first day, Luis saw something,” Graves said. “He said, ‘You never used to do that.’ He picked it up that quick. I threw a few pitches, and it clicked again. I think I can feed off that for a while. Sometimes in your career you need that guy — a guy who has seen you when you were successful and can point out what you’ve changed.”
Mark Shapiro has seen Graves when he was successful. Cleveland’s general manager was the team’s farm director when Graves was a minor-leaguer.
“Obviously, Danny’s stuff has declined,” Shapiro said. “No matter how much courage he has, no matter how tough he is, he needs more weapons to attack major-league hitters. We’re going to have to see some return of the quality, sharpness and velocity of his stuff.”
Graves said, with Isaac’s help, he’s already on the road back to where he was — and not that awful long ago. “The bottom line is, I forgot how to pitch,” Graves said. Reach Repository sports writer Andy Call at (330) 580-8346 or e-mail: [email protected]
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

PlainDealer

3/3/06

INDIANS SPRING TRAINING THEIR BIG CHANCE:World Baseball Classic creates an opportunity for players left behind.D6
Game's year-round for round Belliard


Friday, March 03, 2006

Bud Shaw
Plain Dealer Columnist

Kissimmee, Fla.
- Sec ond base for the Indians is a rock because of Ronnie Belliard, just not in a Bow- flex kind of way.

His body is not the stuff of long-term contracts. But after finishing his first season disguised as a puddle of sweat, Belliard had a strong September a year ago as the Indians chased the White Sox. Some of his more sculpted teammates can't say the same.

Between major-league seasons, Belliard estimates, he played 36 games of winter-league ball and six more in the Caribbean World Series where his Dominican Republic team lost to Venezuela.

"He eats and sleeps baseball all year around," said Indians manager Eric Wedge. "It's the norm for him."

Wedge watched Belliard expand the meaning of "walk-off homer" Thursday against the Houston Astros in the spring training opener.

Belliard's three-run home run in the fifth inning helped the Indians win, 5-2, after which he left the game not to return to the Indians until after the World Baseball Classic.

The WBC, which Commissioner Bud Selig considers a World Cup in the making, but many Americans believe is an alphabet boxing organization, is bigger in the Dominican, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and Cuba than it is in the country that invented baseball.

Belliard sees the difference every time he goes home to Santo Domingo and especially when he plays in the Caribbean World Series. He has played in five, and been playing winter-league ball for 11.

After leaving Thursday's game, he signed autographs down the right-field line. In the Caribbean World Series he would be doing that between innings. People toss everything short of small children over the top of the dugout to sign.

Not just between innings," Belliard said. "People ask for your autograph during the game."

One recent year, the Dominican team arrived at the Series a day late. A problem (ahem) with the flight.

"Something like that," Belliard said.

Actually, the pilot of the chartered flight refused to fly the plane when passengers became drunk and rowdy. It wasn't the players. The players were otherwise occupied. Seems while Dominican politicians honored the team, the caps were not kept on the rum or beer on board where other passengers waited.

"It's a different kind of passion about baseball in the Dominican and Venezuela," said Belliard.

Born in the Bronx, Belliard went to high school in Miami. In between, he spent 14 years in the Dominican. After moving back to the Bronx for a year and a half, he sought warm weather for year-round baseball.

The calendar hasn't turned up much rest time since. Make the big leagues from the Dominican Republic, your winters are booked. And not on a Carnival cruise line.

Belliard called winter ball a "responsibility." The same mind-set produced a stacked Dominican roster for the WBC, even without Manny Ramirez. Belliard will play whenever and wherever needed.

Now that C.C. Sabathia has dropped off the U.S. roster for the WBC, Victor Martinez (Venezuela) and Belliard are the top reasons for Shapiro and Wedge to sweat. Belliard, who is in his option year, hit everywhere in the lineup except cleanup last season. And his defense jumped from solid to sometimes spectacular - even when he didn't man his short fielder position.

"It would be nice to have a longer contract," he said, "but I've had to prove myself every year."

In two countries.

To reach this Plain Dealer columnist:

[email protected], 216-999-5639

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

A few pics of spring training....

<TABLE class=cwe cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=615 bgColor=#696c73 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD width=412 rowSpan=2><TABLE height=412 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=412 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle width=412>

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><TD width=5 rowSpan=2> </TD><TD width=193><SCRIPT type=text/javascript>if (DOMUsed) { document.write( '
\n' + '

' + '<s></s>');}else { document.write( '<form name="imgInfoForm">' + '<textarea name="imgInfoText" rows=5 cols=30 wrap="virtual"></textarea></form>\n');}</SCRIPT>
Tribe third baseman Aaron Boone makes a nice play on a ball hit on the infield during an intrasquad game at Chain O' Lakes park in Winter Haven, Florida.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


<TABLE class=cwe cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=615 bgColor=#696c73 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD width=412 rowSpan=2><TABLE height=412 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=412 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle width=412>

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><TD width=5 rowSpan=2> </TD><TD width=193><SCRIPT type=text/javascript>if (DOMUsed) { document.write( '
\n' + '

' + '<s></s>');}else { document.write( '<form name="imgInfoForm">' + '<textarea name="imgInfoText" rows=5 cols=30 wrap="virtual"></textarea></form>\n');}</SCRIPT>
Newly acquired catcher Kelly Shoppach is battling with Einar Diaz for the backup catcher spot.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


<TABLE class=cwe cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=615 bgColor=#696c73 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD width=412 rowSpan=2><TABLE height=412 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=412 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle width=412>

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><TD width=5 rowSpan=2> </TD><TD width=193><SCRIPT type=text/javascript>if (DOMUsed) { document.write( '
\n' + '

' + '<s></s>');}else { document.write( '<form name="imgInfoForm">' + '<textarea name="imgInfoText" rows=5 cols=30 wrap="virtual"></textarea></form>\n');}</SCRIPT>
C.C. Sabathia throws during a bullpen session prior to the start of an intrasquad game at Chain O' Lakes Park in Winter Haven, Florida.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


<TABLE class=cwe cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=615 bgColor=#696c73 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD width=412 rowSpan=2><TABLE height=412 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=412 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle width=412>

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><TD width=5 rowSpan=2> </TD><TD width=193><SCRIPT type=text/javascript>if (DOMUsed) { document.write( '
\n' + '

' + '<s></s>');}else { document.write( '<form name="imgInfoForm">' + '<textarea name="imgInfoText" rows=5 cols=30 wrap="virtual"></textarea></form>\n');}</SCRIPT>
Travis Hafner autographs a pile of bats in the clubhouse at Chain O' Lakes Park in Winter Haven, Florida.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


<TABLE class=cwe cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=615 bgColor=#696c73 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD width=412 rowSpan=2><TABLE height=412 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=412 bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle width=412>

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><TD width=5 rowSpan=2> </TD><TD width=193><SCRIPT type=text/javascript>if (DOMUsed) { document.write( '
\n' + '

' + '<s></s>');}else { document.write( '<form name="imgInfoForm">' + '<textarea name="imgInfoText" rows=5 cols=30 wrap="virtual"></textarea></form>\n');}</SCRIPT>
Grady Sizemore signs autographs for fans at Chain O' Lakes park in Winter Haven, Florida.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Rumblings from today's Dispatch.....

Last year about this time, the Indians began working on multiyear deals with Victor Martinez and Travis Hafner. Now comes word that they are doing likewise with Grady Sizemore and Jhonny Peralta, and probably Cliff Lee.

There’s no hurry. Lee and Peralta won’t be eligible for arbitration until next winter and Sizemore won’t qualify until after the 2007 season. But all three fit general manager Mark Shapiro’s description of core players he would like to lock up, giving the team a contingent of key players he wouldn’t have to worry about signing for a while.

If the Indians are successful with this group, the front office won’t have to wonder what it will cost to keep those guys around, which might make it more willing to offer a multiyear deal to an important free agent.
Last year, Martinez and Hafner signed in early April.