Indians Tidbits (2006 season)..

[vrbryant]

Coco Crisp's first game in a Red Sox uniform:

3-3, 2B, 3B, RBI

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

3/4/06

Indians notebook

Sabathia shelled in short spring debut

Tribe ace allows seven runs in 1 2/3 innings. Peralta, Mulhern hit home runs in 11-5 loss to Astros

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - C.C. Sabathia found a way to be noticed, even after declining to pitch for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.
Sabathia turned down a spot on the United States' entry on Wednesday. Friday, he made his first spring training start and gave up seven runs (five earned) and six hits in 1 2/3 innnings. He also struck out three.
The Houston Astros, who gained an 11-5 win over the Indians, banged two doubles and a triple off the Tribe ace, who also forced in a run with one of two walks.
``I definitely care,'' Sabathia said of his outing, even though the game doesn't count. ``I'm very competitive, but I am satisfied with my delivery and that I only missed with a few pitches.''
Sabathia said there was nothing physically wrong.
``I felt pretty good,'' he said, adding with a smile, ``I backed up a lot of bases, so I guess that was good for my cardio work.''
Sabathia didn't minimize his lack of workmanship.
``A few times I missed pretty bad,'' he said, ``but mostly, I was around the plate.''
There were no complaints by manager Eric Wedge.
``C.C. was throwing a lot of fastballs,'' he said. ``He was just looking to get his work in and stay in his delivery.''
Wedge said when Sabathia was removed his pitch count had reached the mid-40s.
Bangers
Jhonny Peralta and Ryan Mulhern hit home runs, Peralta's sailing over the right-field fence.
``Jhonny probably has better power to right than any right-handed batter we have,'' Wedge said.
Mulhern played first base for the Double-A Aeros last year, raising his status with the Tribe player development people. He is not the most adept defender at first, but he probably will get better. Team officials also want him to learn to play left field.
Sharing
While Ronnie Belliard is away playing at the World Baseball Classic, second base will be shared by Ramon Vazquez and Brandon Phillips, who are competing for the same utility infield berth.
``Those two guys will get the bulk of the time at second and also spell Jhonny at short,'' Wedge said. ``I also want to see them at third, because that's part of the job, too.''
First serious injury?
X-rays were inconclusive on utility infielder Lou Merloni's right hand and wrist after he was hit by a pitch in Thursday's game against the Astros in Kissimmee, Fla.
An MRI is being scheduled to determine whether he suffered a stress fracture.
Marching onward
The Indians will split their squad to play the Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers and the Detroit Tigers in Winter Haven.
Paul Byrd will make his first spring start against the Tigers' Wilfredo Ledesma. Bob Wickman, Scott Sauerbeck, Jason Davis and Jeremy Sowers will follow.
Fausto Carmona will start against the Twins' Boof Bonser. In the bullpen wil be Jeremy Guthrie, Jake Dittler, Edwin Mujica, Tony Sipp and Kazuhito Tadano.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

3/4/06

Posted on Sat, Mar. 04, 2006
Peralta is Jhonny be good

By Terry Pluto

<!-- begin body-content -->WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - A year ago, he was a question mark, the kid who was replacing Omar Vizquel at shortstop.
The Indians kept insisting that no one could replace Vizquel, that Jhonny Peralta was still a work in progress.
Be patient, they said.
The Indians even signed veteran Alex Cora as insurance at shortstop.
The Indians knew that Peralta was one of their premier prospects. They knew that he was the Most Valuable Player of the Class AAA International League in 2004, but they didn't know how he'd react to the pressure.
Peralta is quiet and has a little bit of a Manny Ramirez attitude about him -- ``Don't worry, be happy.'' The Indians tried to say Peralta wouldn't wilt under the heat of standing in the same place where Vizquel won Gold Glove awards for eight consecutive years.
Peralta knew.
He knew that his defense could never match that of Vizquel. He knew that Vizquel was the most popular player on the team.
He knew that he was no Omar.
Then the season began, and he made an error to cost the Indians the opener against the White Sox in Chicago. He made errors in each of his first four games. Manager Eric Wedge will never admit it, but he ``rested'' Peralta in the home opener, partly to keep him from pressing in front of the sellout crowd.
Think back to the end of April. Peralta was batting ninth in the lineup, hitting .222 with a homer and four RBI. His fielding was erratic, his swing shaky.
Making it worse, the Indians were losing.
``I knew some of the fans were going crazy because I was making those errors,'' Peralta said. ``Omar played here for 10 years. I was feeling it a little.''
He was concerned because the Indians were using Cora a few days each week, and he wondered if they were going to let him play every day.
``I play better the more I play,'' he said.
By mid-May, the Indians committed to Peralta. He had hit .326 with 15 home runs and 86 RBI at Triple-A Buffalo. They needed to find out if their belief in Peralta had merit, if those numbers would project to the major leagues.
Not even the Tribe's most optimistic predictions matched his production.
He cut down his errors. He began to control his swing, not attacking the ball quite as hard. He started to feel secure.
As Wedge said, ``He played without fear.''
Meaning?
``When he got ahead in the count and he got a pitch to hit, he really went after it,'' Wedge said.
One of the arcane statistics kept these days shows that Peralta was 11-for-20 (.550) when the count was 3-and-1. When the count was 2-and-0, he was 7-for-10 (.700). He didn't swing at any 3-and-0 pitches.
That is the sign of a surprisingly mature hitter for so little experience.
Peralta finished the season hitting .292 with 24 homers and 78 RBI. He made only 10 errors in his last 95 games. In July, he moved into the third spot of the order.
``That showed they believed in me,'' he said. ``I said that I better hit.''
Because Peralta is so reserved and because he tends to play as if he just awoke from a long nap, it's easy to not fully appreciate what he accomplished in 2005.
At 23, in his first full big-league season, Peralta broke the team record for homers by a shortstop with 24, surpassing the 23 hit by Woodie Held in 1961.
Overall, his 19 errors in 141 games would rank him as an average defensive shortstop. His offense ranked him among the elite at the position.
``I was surprised to hit 24 home runs,'' he said. ``Maybe this year, I hit 30.''
That could be the case if he doesn't swing for them, and continues to use his power to go to the opposite field. That's what he did with a 400-foot homer to right-center in Friday's game against the Houston Astros.
Peralta won't be 24 until May 28. He makes no claims about being another Omar Vizquel. Being Jhonny Peralta is good enough.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

3/4/06

on Sat, Mar. 04, 2006
Davis hunting for spot in bullpen

Jerky specialist turns focus to reliever role

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - The subject for today is jerky, specifically deer jerky.
Deer jerky doesn't necessarily have anything to do with baseball, but it is important to Jason Davis, who is trying to wedge his way into the Indians' bullpen.
In this case, wedge is a multi-purpose word.
Not only does it indicate the course Davis needs to follow, it refers to manager Eric Wedge, the man who selected Davis as one of four primary contenders for the final relief spot on the roster. The others are Steve Karsay, Danny Graves and Andrew Brown.
All four pitchers have issues, of sorts.
Karsay has pitched little in the past three years after undergoing serious shoulder surgery.
Graves mysteriously lost his mechanics during a horrid season in 2005, when the Cincinnati Reds released him.
He finished the year on a low note with the New York Mets.
Brown's problem is inexperience. In his only trip to the big leagues, with the Tribe last year, he sat on the bench and never pitched.
That doesn't give Davis an obvious edge. In fact, at this juncture of spring training, no reliever seems to be a clear front-runner. While everyone is waiting for a favorite to emerge, Davis can talk about one of his favorite activities.
To say that Davis is an avid deer hunter would be an understatement. During the offseason, he bagged six deer in four different states. He lives in Charleston, Tenn., a state where he took home the limit of three deer.
He also traveled to Ohio, Illinois and West Virginia, harvesting one deer in each state.
``My agent has a farm in Illinois, so that's why I went there,'' Davis said on Friday. ``In Ohio, I hunted in Wayne County. I know a dairy farmer in West Salem. Dean Chance also is friends with this family, so I've known him for about three years.''
Chance is the former Cy Young Award winner, who pitched a no-hitter for the California Angels in the 1960s and spent 1970 with the Tribe.
``Dean is awesome,'' Davis said. ``But he is too impatient to hunt.''
Davis' connection in West Virginia is his physical therapist in Tennessee, whose family lives in the Mountaineer state.
What does a man do with six deer? Davis has options. Although he is an amateur taxidermist, how many walls in the house can you fill up with deer heads?
Davis dressed out the deer and gave much of the meat away, but not all of it.
``I processed it myself and distributed a lot to the people who let me hunt on their property,'' Davis said. ``But I kept some of it. For one thing, I'm famous for my jerky.''
Davis didn't say precisely how far his renown extends, but as yet he has had no offers to star in a jerky reality show. And Davis self-produces the jerky from beginning to end.
``I use one whole deer, about 60 pounds of meat, for my jerky,'' Davis said.``It lasts all winter, and I don't give very much away.''
Davis makes two varieties of jerky, which he labels ``original'' and ``spicy.''
And what spices does he use? ``The seasonings are a secret,'' Davis said with a smile.
Hunting season, of course, is over. Davis is concentrating on making the team. If he doesn't, he will return to Triple-A again.
Davis has had one problem not entirely of his own making. Club officials can't seem to decide whether he should be a reliever or a starter. If he doesn't make the team this spring, he doesn't know whether he will go into rotation or the bullpen at Triple-A Buffalo.
``Right now, I'm competing for a bullpen spot,'' Davis said. ``I can't look at that (switching back and forth). I have to take it one day at a time.''
The Tribe rotation missed only four starts in 2005. Davis got to pitch all of them, compiling a 3-1 record and 4.18 ERA. As a reliever, he pitched seven times, posting a 5.40 ERA.
For most of the year, he worked in Buffalo's rotation, compiling an 8-5 record and 4.61 ERA. Davis has been working as a starter/reliever for a couple of years, but he still feels more like a starter than a reliever.
``I've made the adjustments I need to compete in a short amount of time,'' Davis said of pitching in the bullpen. ``The adrenaline takes care of most of the rest of it.
``But I haven't spent that much time as a reliever. I would say I need more work there to feel comfortable doing both.''
For the good of the team and Davis, it's probably time to decide what kind of a pitcher he should be for the long haul.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

yahoo.com

3/4/06


[

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=750 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width=560>Cleveland 11, Detroit 8

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=7><SPACER width="1" type="block" height="1"></TD></TR><TR><TD class=yspsctnhdln>Cleveland 11, Detroit 8</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7><SPACER width="1" type="block" height="1"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Preview - Box Score - Recap </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>March 4, 2006

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (AP) -- Jake Gautreau hit a three-run homer and Ramon Vazquez added a three-run double to lead the Cleveland Indians to an 11-8 win over the Detroit Tigers in a split-squad exhibition game Saturday.
Ex-Indian Ryan Ludwick had a two-run homer and four RBIs and Brandon Inge a three-run double for Detroit.

pitched two innings in his first outing since signing a two-year, $14 million contract as a free agent in December. It was the 35-year-old right-hander's first game in an Indians uniform since spring training of 1994, when he spent his fourth year in Cleveland's farm system before being traded to the New York Mets.

"It felt great to hear some fans say welcome back," said Byrd, who never pitched in a big-league game for Cleveland. "I was wondering if they even remembered me."
Byrd's family was in the stands, too -- though his youngest son was a bit preoccupied.
"I missed the first inning," said 8-year-old Colby Byrd, who apparently was more interested in trying to spot an alligator or a wild bird in Lake Lulu behind the ballpark than what dad was doing.
"I'm the Rodney Dangerfield of parents," Paul Byrd said. "Last year, Colby said, 'Why do they want your autograph? You're only average."'
The Indians are hoping for more than that from Byrd, who went 12-11 for the Los Angeles Angels in 2005 and was the only pitcher to beat the White Sox during Chicago's 11-1 run to the World Series title.
Byrd said one reason he signed with Cleveland was because of the Indians' solid defense -- which quickly deserted him.
In the first inning, shortstop Jhonny Peralta battled the sun's glare before dropping a pop fly in short left-center. Two batters later, Ludwick had an RBI single.
In the Tigers' second, Marcus Thames got credit for a double when his fly ball fell 10 feet from left-fielder Franklin Gutierrez, who was shading his eyes and ducking. Thames eventually scored on an RBI single by Mike Rabelo.
Gutierrez drew a bases-loaded walk and Vazquez followed with a three-run double in the bottom half off Wil Ledezma. Peralta added an RBI single for a 5-2 Cleveland lead.
Gautreau's three-run homer off Joel Zumaya made it 8-2 in the third.
Ludwick homered off Jason Davis in the fifth.
"I can't read too much into it," said Ludwick of his 3-for-5 day. "I just want to stay healthy. The Tigers have given my career a new life and I hope to do something with it."
Ludwick battled numerous injuries during three-plus seasons with the Indians.
"He's got a chance because I'll take the 25 best players," said new Tigers manager Jim Leyland. Then he cautioned, "It's early. A lot of things can happen." <SMALL>Notes</SMALL> LHP Jeremy Sowers, Cleveland's first-round pick in 2004, pitched two hitless innings, but walked three. "His command was a little off, but he still got the job done," said assistant GM Chris Antonetti. Sowers walked only 29 while striking out 149 while going 14-4 with a 2.37 ERA in the minors in 2005. ... Tigers OF Alexis Gomez went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. ... INF Lou Merloni, seeking a utility spot on the Indians roster, said an MRI exam on his right wrist was negative. He was hit by a pitch Thursday.

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

3/5/06

Ocker on the Indians

Can Indians be too nice to win?

With no blowhards on roster, theory should be tested. Moody Rhodes pushed envelope last season

By Sheldon Ocker

<!-- begin body-content -->WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - Mark Shapiro might not have this objective in mind, but the Indians' general manager is putting to the test the proposition that nice guys can finish first, or at least win a wild-card berth.
Try as I might -- after thorough research and personal interviews with much of the Tribe roster -- I cannot find a player who was born to be a pain in the neck.
A player's personality is not of primary concern to fans. It's strictly a media thing, unless a player's nastiness is a threat to the customers' physical well-being (Albert Belle), his rude behavior triggers a spate of complaints to customer relations (Albert Belle), or he wins the Cleveland Bar Association Man of the Year Award for putting more attorneys to work than Enron and WorldCom combined (Albert Belle).
Suffice to say that Belle hasn't played for the Indians -- or any team -- in years, but he continues to have problems living in the real world of Scottsdale, Ariz.
Belle was the extreme example of an uncooperative, anti-social player. This group of Wahoos has nobody on the roster who could carry the keys to Belle's SUV, the one that he used to run down the two kids who egged the door of his condo on Halloween back in the '90s.
Granted, the entire 2006 roster has yet to be chosen, and I can't honestly say I know everyone in the clubhouse well enough to make definitive judgments. It does appear that no matter who makes the team, there will be relative peace and tranquility between the players and the media.
A qualifying note is needed here. Not all members of the sporting media are perfect gentlemen. Every other decade or so -- or is it every other day? -- a less than professional person appears on the scene holding press credentials. There are even a few who would raise my hackles if I were a player.
That said, this might be the first group of Wahoos in my memory that lacks one practicing jerk. What about last year, you ask? The 2005 club came close, but there was one cranky relief pitcher, who kept the team from scoring 100 percent on the sociability scale.
And yes, I will tell you his name. It was Arthur Rhodes, who put on airs of extreme machismo in the clubhouse, yet wilted on the mound when presented with the task of holding one- or two-run leads in the seventh, eighth or ninth innings. He also couldn't pitch in Yankee Stadium and was troubled when faced with various other ordeals common to relievers.
There were many times when Rhodes' media-relations skills were beyond reproach. Too often he would be surly and unreasonably petulant.
For example: On the field, before a game in Cincinnati, he berated a reporter (not me) who had written about Rhodes' high-tech sunglasses, which were equipped with an MP3 player.
``You can't be writing about that stuff,'' he screeched in front of about 50 onlookers. ``That's private. You got no business writing about something that's private.''
Rhodes continued the tirade long enough for everyone to hear and appreciate the intensity of his attack. The stunned reporter stood in semi-shock, having been taken by surprise. He wondered how an innocuous item could spark such a hostile response.
My theory: Rhodes must have thought the insecurities (whatever they are) that prevented him from pitching effectively in clutch situations would dissipate if he impressed his peers -- remember the 50 onlookers? -- with his ability to intimidate a reporter.
By the way, there was nothing private about Rhodes wearing sunglasses in front of 5,000 fans watching batting practice, 30 or so media members and two rosters worth of players.
One note of explanation. I didn't write about Rhodes' magical sunglasses, because I already had included a note about an identical pair belonging to Ichiro Suzuki.
On a trip to Seattle, I was talking to Mariners manager Mike Hargrove in the dugout, when Suzuki sat down and showed both of us his new Oakleys. He didn't mind that a stranger might tell a small portion of the world about his new toy.
There was one mitigating factor in Rhodes' behavior: He was facing a challenging situation because of a seriously ill family member. That's why he left the team the last two months of the season. On the other hand, I had heard stories of Rhodes' bad temper long before 2005.
OK, enough Rhodes bashing. There is a more important question facing the Indians. Can a bunch of thoughtful, even-tempered guys who grin a lot, don't swear much and make a point of being polite win anything? Or was Leo Durocher right when he said, ``Nice guys finish last?''
Keep in mind that the Tribe almost won a spot in the playoffs a year ago. If not for one horrid week, the Wahoos would have qualified as the American League wild-card entry, and at the time Rhodes wasn't around, raising the niceness quotient of the rest of the roster.
I know that almost doesn't count. A team either makes the playoffs or it doesn't. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any statistical data comparing teams that scowl with teams that smile.
Shapiro often talks about character. He doesn't mean players who attend church every Sunday and help the neighborhood Cub Scouts earn merit badges. He doesn't even mean players who are media friendly.
Character, in terms of a baseball team, relates to mental toughness, the ability not to give in when things are going badly and a burning desire to succeed.
I suppose in these areas, nice guys are no different than jerks. Then again, I'm going to need proof.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

3/5/06

Jekyll or Hyde bullpen?

Sunday, March 5, 2006


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Bob Wickman​

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Bob Wickman has seen it all.
Cleveland’s 37-year-old closer has observed how a bad bullpen can quickly torch a baseball season, as it did to the Indians in 2004. He’s seen how a good bullpen can allow a team to remain in playoff contention until the final day, as the Indians did in 2005.
So, with as much objectivity as he can muster, Wickman maintains that the relief pitcher has become a more precious commodity than ever.
“You can’t put a price on it,” Wickman said. “People in baseball are finding out you can’t just fill in guys anymore. You really need guys with talent.”
The talent was there last year. Indians relief pitchers forged a combined 2.80 earned-run average, best in the American League. Wickman converted 45 of 50 save opportunities. Setup man Bobby Howry set a franchise record with 79 appearances. Only one of the Tribe’s seven primary relievers finished with an ERA higher than 3.10.
“The bullpen is year-to-year,” Wickman said. “All the guys in our bullpen had solid, consistent years.”
REMEMBER THE WRECK
The 2005 numbers became even more compelling when contrasted with 2004.
Forgettable relievers such as Scott Stewart and Jose Jimenez sent the Wahoo Express hurtling off the tracks, blowing 21 of 36 saves and combining for a 5.60 ERA in the first half of that season. Cleveland rallied after Wickman and Howry returned from injuries at midseason, but the damage was done.
“Our studies have shown that there is a volatility in bullpens from year to year and inconsistencies in relief pitchers from year to year,” General Manager Mark Shapiro said.
“It’s not genius when you build the best bullpen, and it’s not idiocy when you have a bullpen that struggles. It’s a challenge to construct every year.”
There is always volatility in bullpen personnel as well as in bullpen performance. The Indians will enter this season without three veteran relievers from 2005 — Howry, right-hander David Riske and left-hander Arthur Rhodes. Howry signed with the Chicago Cubs as a free agent and Riske and Rhodes were traded.
ALL ABOUT BOB
There is at least one known commodity, however.
“The bullpen starts with the closer,” Manager Eric Wedge said.
Wickman is never pretty. He allowed 57 hits and 21 walks in 62 innings last year. But, somehow, he gets the job done. Opposing batters hit just .149 off Wickman with runners in scoring position last season, best in the American League.
“Last year was great,” Wickman said. “It was fun. It was easy to work the baseball. It was like being a young kid again.”
Wickman is no young kid, however. That’s why 24-year-old Fernando Cabrera is likely to be presented some save opportunities during the season. Cabrera, who had a 1.47 ERA in 15 appearances last summer, has climbed Cleveland’s minor-league ladder as Wickman’s potential replacement.
BEFORE THE CLOSER
Howry’s vacant setup role could be shared by a number of players, but 32-year-old right-hander Guillermo Mota will get the first look. Mota came to Cleveland from Boston in the Coco Crisp trade. His career ERA is 3.61, but he has battled elbow and shoulder problems.
If a tough left-handed hitter comes to the plate late in the game, the Indians are likely to counter with veteran lefty Scott Sauerbeck. Left-handers hit .162 off Sauerbeck last year.
Two pitchers who could step atop the mound in the sixth and seventh innings are Rafael Betancourt and sidearmer Matt Miller. Betancourt (4-3. 2.79 ERA) struck out 73 in 68 innings. Miller allowed opposing hitters a .212 average in 2005, but pitched only once after midseason due to elbow problems.
Betancourt and Miller face competition in spring training, however, from former Indians Danny Graves and Steve Karsay. Both came to camp with minor-league contracts, hoping to revive solid careers that went awry due to injuries and inconsistency. Young right-hander Andrew Brown also is in the mix.
The potential candidates for a long reliever/spot starter role will not sort themselves out until late in the spring.
“I do think it will take time to fortify certain roles,” Shapiro said. “Those things change over a season.”
Roles can change, and often need to. One thing Shapiro, Wedge and Wickman don’t want to see change in 2006, however, is the results. “The guys we have in the bullpen are going to have to step up,” Wickman said. “We have to make it work with guys we have in this clubhouse.” Reach Repository sports writer Andy Call at (330) 580-8346 or e-mail: [email protected]
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

3/5/06

Indians open home to chilly fans warmed by the promise of '06


Sunday, March 05, 2006 Mike Tobin
Plain Dealer Reporter
Snow covered home plate and the only warm breezes came from heaters, but about 7,500 people turned out Saturday for an early taste of summer at Jacobs Field.
The Indians opened the ballpark to the public while selling single-game tickets for the upcoming baseball season. Grandparents, parents and kids walked through the park, toured the clubhouse and even took swings inside the batting cages.
Jim Francis, 56, brought relatives from Michigan downtown
"We've been waiting for this since October," Francis said. "To be able to walk in the outfield was really great."
The rush for tickets not already sold to season-ticket holders isn't as great as it was during the team's championship run in the 1990s, when all the tickets for the year usually were gobbled up in a few days.
Still, thanks to 2005's winning season, team officials said they have sold about 150,000 more tickets than at the same time last year.
These days, the vast majority of tickets purchased are bought online.
But about 100 hardy souls braved a wind-chill in the teens Saturday to line up to buy tickets from the box office at Jacobs Field.
Jay Macho woke up at 5:30 a.m. to make the trip from Edinboro, Pa. The Parma native used to have a 20-game package of season tickets but the drive got to be too much.
He drove in this weekend because he wanted aisle seats -- a specific request ticket buyers can't make online. Macho planned to buy tickets for weekend games that are followed by fireworks displays.
"I come to the games with friends and family," Macho said. "We drive in, have dinner and make a day out of it."
Barb Snyder of Lakewood has another reason for buying tickets in person.
"No service charge," Snyder said, figuring that buying 24 tickets would cost an additional $72 in charges.
Inside the clubhouse, some visitors were dazzled by the oversize televisions, couches and lockers.
Five-year-old Andrew Passerell was less impressed. "It looks like a bathroom," he said.
Andrew and his sister Christina were more excited about getting balloons and having their faces painted.
This year's home opener will mark 350 consecutive Indians games at The Jake for Marsha Miller. The Westlake woman's favorite part of the Jacobs Field open house was getting to hit in the batting cages.
"I'm 56, but I feel like a 25-year-old major-leaguer when I'm out there," she said.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
[email protected], 216-999-4128

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

3/6/05

<CENTER>MLB Game Summary - Atlanta at Cleveland </CENTER>


(Sunday, March 5th)

Final Score: Cleveland 6, Atlanta 4
Winter Haven, FL (Sports Network) - Casey Blake hit a single with the bases loaded to drive in two runs in the third inning and help lead the Cleveland Indians to a 6-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves in Grapefruit League action.
Jason Dubois hit a solo home run and Armando Camacaro added an RBI on a single in the seventh inning for the Indians, who had a total of 11 hits in the game. Jason Johnson pitched three innings and did not allow a run. Steve Karsay pitched the fifth inning and got banged up, allowing three runs on three hits. Matt Esquivel slammed a three-run home run in the fifth inning and Wilson Betemit added a solo homer in the seventh for the Braves. Kyle Davies started on the mound and pitched two scoreless innings. Jose Ascanio- pitched two innings and allowed four runs on five hits.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

3/6/06

Mota healthy, anxious to pitch

After nearly holding up trade, reliever ready to prove himself with Tribe

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - One player has yet to participate in any of the Indians' two intrasquad and five exhibition games.
It's not that new setup man Guillermo Mota is waiting to make a dramatic entrance. Rather, Tribe officials have decided that because of injuries to Mota's shoulder and elbow last year, the better part of wisdom is to hold him out of games until Wednesday.
``We want to be a little cautious down here,'' General Manager Mark Shapiro said on Sunday.
Mota was part of the January trade with the Boston Red Sox that brought third-base phenom Andy Marte and catcher Kelly Shoppach to Cleveland in exchange for Coco Crisp, David Riske and Josh Bard.
``We've decided to go at a slower pace with Mota,'' Shapiro said.
Though Tribe officials have declined to discuss it, trade negotiations broke down when Mota allegedly failed a physical in Cleveland.
Failure in terms of medical exams can be subject to interpretation. But at the very least, the condition of Mota's arm raised questions.
``I went there for two days,'' Mota said. ``I got a call from my agent, who said, `You passed your physical, so don't get it in your mind that you didn't. You're fine. So don't worry about it.' ''
By that time, word had hit the streets via newspapers, television, radio and the Internet: Mota had flunked. The trade was dead. Everyone thought so, including Shapiro.
But the Red Sox kept pushing. Two nights later, they sweetened the pot with cash and a player to be named, and Shapiro pulled the trigger, indicating that whatever was ailing Mota wasn't enough to kill the deal permanently.
Mota doesn't know whether a Tribe source or someone else spread bad news on his physical.
``I don't know who said that,'' he said. ``I don't know if it was the Indians or someone in the media.''
Pitching out of the Florida Marlins' bullpen, Mota was injured twice in 2005. He missed almost the whole month of May because of tendinitis in his elbow. Later in the year, his shoulder began to throb and he was held out of action again.
It is Mota's shoulder that apparently set off alarms with the Tribe.
``When I came back from the elbow tendinitis, I was throwing different,'' he said. ``I changed my mechanics, and maybe that's what caused the tendinitis in the shoulder. But it was only tendinitis. I wasn't really hurt.''
During spring training, Mota has been doing three different physical therapy programs to strengthen his arm.
Is there a question about Mota's prospective ability to pitch on consecutive days?
``I think once we get to a certain place with him physically,'' Shapiro said, ``that will not be an issue.''
Accounting for a pitcher's physical ills usually isn't easy. But in Mota's case, we have a clue.
Even the hardest working relievers don't normally throw more than 75 innings a season, though there are exceptions. Mota is one of them.
From 2002 through 2004, he amassed 299 innings. His career high was 105 for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2003.
Even last season, when he missed considerable time, he piled up 67 innings for the Marlins and 2 2/3 more for Class A Jupiter on a rehabilitation assignment.
That's not all. During most winters (not last offseason), he returns to his native Dominican Republic to pitch 15-20 more innings.
``They say I'm crazy, but I like to pitch,'' he said.
If Mota is a little manic about his desire to pitch, it's because he was a shortstop until 1997. He knows it's not true, but in the back of his mind, he thinks if he goes too long without pitching, he might forget how to do it.
Mota traveled an unconventional road to get where he is. He began his professional career as a shortstop in rookie ball. He remained an infielder for six minor-league seasons, never rising above Class A.
His statistics tell the story. Mota did not hit for a high average or with power. In addition, in his fifth season, playing for Columbia (S.C.), he committed 40 errors in 123 games.
In the winter of 1996, the New York Mets left him unprotected in the Rule 5 draft and the Montreal Expos claimed him, immediately making him a pitcher. He struggled somewhat his first year in A-ball, compiling a 5-10 record and 4.36 ERA as a starter, but he displayed obvious talent.
The next year, he began throwing in the bullpen and excelled, posting an 0.66 ERA at high Class A Jupiter and a 1.06 ERA at Double-A Harrisburg. From there, his career path became clear.
Mota won't do much hitting in the American League, but he said, ``I hit a home run in my first big-league at-bat.''
And where did Mota hit in the lineup during his years at shortstop in the minors?
``I hit ninth down there,'' he said.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

3/6/06

Posted on Mon, Mar. 06, 2006
Notebook

Brown making serious bid for bullpen

Reliever shining in competition with Graves, Karsay, Davis for final spot

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - One of the Indians' few contested roster spots is the final bullpen berth.
So far, the competition between primary contenders Danny Graves, Steve Karsay, Jason Davis and Andrew Brown is too close to call. There really isn't a favorite.
But in Sunday's 6-4 win over the Atlanta Braves, Brown served notice that he is a serious contender.
Throwing 94-96-mph fastballs, he dispatched three hitters with relative ease, two on strikeouts.
``He was very aggressive with his fastball,'' Indians manager Eric Wedge said. ``And he's starting to work his breaking pitches off his fastball. But it's important that he doesn't try to do too much.''
Graves and Karsay also pitched Sunday, with varying degrees of success. Karsay, throwing 90-91 mph, gave up three hits in a row, the last a home run to Matt Esquivel.
Graves, throwing 88-89-mph fastballs, worked a scoreless inning but allowed a double that Todd Donovan lost in the center-field sun.
Keep in mind that pitchers often throw a couple of miles per hour harder once the regular season begins.
Wedge verified that no front-runner has emerged in the competition for the final job in the bullpen.
``Not right now,'' he said. ``It's still wide open. The most important time is still ahead of us.''
Crowe's feet
Trevor Crowe, the Tribe's first pick (14th overall) in last year's draft, got two hits, including a single that he turned into a double with his hustle and speed.
Crowe, whose future might be as a leadoff batter, also stole a base, even though the pitcher had him all but picked off.
The details
Jason Dubois hit a solo homer, and Casey Blake drove in two runs with a single. Jason Johnson started and became the first Tribe pitcher to throw three innings this spring, allowing two hits and striking out one.
``We originally had him scheduled for two innings,'' Wedge said. ``But his pitch count was so low, he had a chance to go a third.''
Returning?
Wedge thought that Lou Merloni would be fit to play today.
He missed the past two games because of a deep bone bruise to his right hand and wrist, sustained when he was hit by a pitch.
Everyone on board
With the additions of Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore, Matt Miller, Jason Stanford and Brandon Phillips, the entire 40-man roster has agreed to contract terms for 2006.
Marching onward
The Indians travel to Port St. Lucie to play the New York Mets today.
Jake Westbrook will get his second start of the spring, opposing Tom Glavine. Following Westbrook will be Davis, Kazuhito Tadano, Tony Sipp and Edward Mujica. The game will be aired by ESPN.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

3/6/06

Posted on Mon, Mar. 06, 2006
Wedge expects winning

By Terry Pluto

<!-- begin body-content -->WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - It's a little after 7 a.m., and I'm late for my appointment with Eric Wedge.
The Indians' manager has already been in the clubhouse for more than an hour. He's dressed, most of his coaches are there. They are planning how to use players in the upcoming practices and exhibition games.
Wedge comes across as more relaxed than at any point since becoming manager in 2003. Perhaps it comes from leading a team from 68 to 80 to 93 wins. Or it simply could be that this is his fourth year, and he believes he has a good team.
``I believe we are ready to win this division and get in the playoffs,'' he said, and it's a message that he has already delivered to the players.
That would seem a tough assignment.
At last check, the World Champion Chicago White Sox were still in the Central Division. The Detroit Tigers have an $83 million payroll compared with $55 million for the Tribe. It seems the Minnesota Twins will win more than 83 games of a year ago.
Can the Indians have all five members of their rotation make at least 30 starts, as they did in 2005? Tribe fans know all the worries. Earned-run average leader Kevin Millwood signed with the Texas Rangers. There was the trade of .300 hitter Coco Crisp to the Boston Red Sox. There are three guys at the bottom of the lineup coming off poor seasons -- Casey Blake, Ben Broussard and Aaron Boone.
``On our best day, we can beat any other team on their best day,'' Wedge insisted.
Even the New York Yankees or the Red Sox?
``Anyone,'' he said. ``I really believe that.''
If that's going to happen, the Indians have to be better than 22-36 in one-run games. That was the worst mark in the American League. Conventional thinking is a team loses a lot of close games because of a lousy bullpen, only the Tribe had the best bullpen in the American League.
The Indians went over all the losses, game by game, and came up with... nothing!
``Sometimes, it's just bad luck,'' General Manager Mark Shapiro said. ``It's not been a pattern.''
Shapiro mentioned that for much of 2004, the Indians had a shaky bullpen, yet their record in one-run games was 26-20. Wedge managed that team, too.
It's hard to know what the one-run games mean. Last season, the White Sox were baseball's best at 35-19, which you'd expect. But the National League's best record was owned by the St. Louis Cardinals, who were 21-25 in one-run games.
The mediocre Arizona Diamondbacks were 28-18, the best in the National League.
In 2003, the Atlanta Braves were 101-61, yet were 17-25 in one-run games. In 2005, they were a so-so 23-20, and won the division.
Wedge does believe his team will be in a lot of one-run games again.
``We have good pitching and we have guys who don't quit,'' he said. ``They kept coming back. And that's why we have to do a better job at the little things.''
Like bunting.
Fans believe the Indians don't bunt enough, but they ranked seventh in sacrifice bunts. Their success rate was 81 percent, which is about average -- according to the 2006 Baseball Register.
Wedge is not especially interested in those numbers.
``We just have to do a better job,'' he said. ``From the seventh inning on, we just were horrible, especially when we needed to get it done.''
The statistics reveal that the Indians' favorite inning to sacrifice was the first, meaning that probably Crisp was bunting on his own after Grady Sizemore reached base.
``We worked on it before, and we're going to keep working on it,'' Wedge said.
Wedge's other goal is to get off to a fast start. In all three of his seasons, the Indians have had dismal Aprils.
``I'm aware of the problems,'' he said. ``I also think our guys have learned something and improved every year. This is a good group. They care about each other. I'm telling you, we are going to be a very, very good team.''

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

3/6/06

Johnson says he’s here to win games

Monday, March 6, 2006



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



WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Jason Johnson is ready to start winning.
The 32-year-old right-hander has spent his entire career pitching for bad teams — Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Baltimore and Detroit. He signed with the Indians as a free agent on the day after Christmas, hoping to begin reversing his 52-86 career record.
Johnson advanced a step toward that goal Sunday afternoon, working three shutout innings of a 6-4 spring-training victory over an Atlanta split squad at Chain of Lakes Park.
“It should be fun when the real games start,” Johnson said. “One of the reasons I decided to sign here in the first place was because I knew they could contend. What you’re paid for is to win and to have fun doing it.”
Johnson earned his pay Sunday. He retired nine of the 11 batters he faced and got Martin Prado to ground out and end the third inning after Tony Pena had tripled. Johnson was only scheduled to throw two innings, but worked into the third because he sent the Braves down on around 20 pitches over the first two.
“Jason is a guy who was very efficient again today,” Indians Manager Eric Wedge said.
Johnson is likely to begin the regular season as Cleveland’s No. 5 starter, filling the spot vacated when Scott Elarton signed with Kansas City as a free agent. Johnson’s 19 quality starts for Detroit last year were one fewer than Jake Westbrook and Kevin Millwood each contributed for the Indians.
Johnson left after three innings and 42 pitches with a 4-0 lead Sunday, but the pitchers who followed him couldn’t preserve his win. Steve Karsay served up a three-run home run to Matt Esquivel and Jason Stanford was the victim on Wilson Betemit’s solo homer that made the score 4-4.
“I was able to hit my spots when I wanted to,” Johnson said. “I just started throwing my two-seam fastball last year, but now I throw it about 80 percent of the time. It’s the pitch I get all my ground balls on.”
Trevor Crowe singled and doubled for the Indians. Travis Hafner, who started at first base, was 2-for-3. Casey Blake hit a two-run single and Jason Dubois a solo home run.
Right-hander Andrew Brown, one of the early contenders for the open bullpen job, fanned two of the three batters he faced in the eighth inning.
“Andrew has been aggressive with his fastball, and he’s starting to work his breaking stuff off of his fastball,” Wedge said. “He obviously has a strong arm.”

TODAY The Indians (4-1) travel to Port St. Lucie to face the New York Mets this afternoon at 1:10. Jake Westbrook will start against Tom Glavine. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN, but will not be broadcast on radio.
THE DOTTED LINE The Indians signed the five remaining players on their 40-man roster to contracts Sunday. Cliff Lee, Matt Miller, Grady Sizemore and Jason Stanford all agreed to terms. Brandon Phillips did not agree to terms, but had his contract renewed because he is not yet eligible for arbitration.
INJURY REPORT Lou Merloni (bruised wrist) hasn’t played in a game since Thursday, but should be able to resume action today.
ALUMNI REPORT Former Indians on the Atlanta spring-training roster include catcher Eddie Perez and pitcher Chad Paronto. Shortstop Tony Pena, son of the former Indians catcher, is in camp with the Braves.

Reach Repository sports writer Andy Call at (330) 580-8346 or e-mail [email protected].
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

PlainDealer

3/6/06

INDIANS SPRING TRAINING
Prospect Marte has golden opportunity


Monday, March 06, 2006

Bud Shaw
Plain Dealer Columnist

Winter Haven, Fla.- Bobby Cox saw Andy Marte early, even if he missed some of what came next.

The Braves longtime manager was there the day Marte tried out with Atlanta as a teenager. Cox did more than watch. He doubled as a first baseman while Marte took ground balls.

"They told me to throw it hard to first," Marte remembered Sunday before the Braves and Indians met in a spring-training game. "When I did a few times, he would just let it go past."

"I don't know," the 64-year-old Cox shrugged. "I must've been out of my mind."
Before the Indians traded for Marte in the Coco Crisp deal in January, they relied on Atlanta for insight into the young Dominican prospect. The Braves, who had signed Marte for $600,000 in 2000, were free to share and their information was fresh.

Less than two months earlier, Atlanta sent Marte to Boston for Edgar Renteria, filling a gaping hole created when shortstop Rafael Furcal signed with the Dodgers. The Braves considered Marte expendable because All-Star third baseman Chipper Jones restructured his contract and signed an extension.

"We had Chipper and everybody in baseball wanted Marte," Cox said. "You hate to have to lose a 20-year-old with stardom written all over him. He's close. If Chipper wasn't here, he'd be starting for us this season."

Marte had three brief stays with the Braves last year. In one game, he tripled off Dontrelle Willis for the only extra-base hit Atlanta managed in a complete-game shutout by the Florida left-hander.

Cox reluctantly sent Marte back to Class AAA Richmond, Va., a few days later because Atlanta needed an extra arm in the bullpen. Marte's big-league numbers - .140 with no home runs and four RBI in 57 at-bats - aren't what Cox remembers.

"He just missed a bunch of home runs," he said. "He'll have it all figured out in another year."

The Indians wouldn't mind if Marte spent that year, at least part of it, in Class AAA Buffalo. That would mean veteran third baseman Aaron Boone figured out his early season struggles in 2005.

The Indians would prefer Boone's 2006 season work as a bridge to Marte. When he arrives, they want Marte to stay for the next 10 years. That's the kind of talent talked about in their conversations with Atlanta General Manager John Schuerholz and player personnel director Dayton Moore.

"John felt strongly that he'd be a very good player for a long time in the major leagues," Indians GM Mark Shapiro said.

Marte's availability felt like an alignment of the planets for the Indians. Third base was a position of dire need in the farm system. Marte rated highly from every angle - the subjective opinion of scouts, the objective analysis such as his age-related performance, and his makeup. The Indians relied heavily on Atlanta in that last category.

The only downside had nothing to do with him. It was giving up Crisp. The attempted remedy is Jason Michaels, who came from Philadelphia for Arthur Rhodes.

"They gave up a good one there," Cox said. "But the guy they have in left field now . . . I'm glad he's in the American League. When we played Philadelphia, every time I looked up he was on base."

Replacing Crisp's production while grooming Marte is the best-case scenario for Shapiro's off-season of work. Marte struck out in one at-bat against Atlanta on Sunday. He has just one hit in seven at-bats this spring.

"The biggest thing for him is to get comfortable here," Shapiro said. "We have to convince him he doesn't have to prove anything to us. But that's probably going to take a while."

Marte says he spent the winter working on hitting the ball the other way.

Indians manager Eric Wedge says Marte - like a lot of young hitters - can get "pull happy."

Marte has proven power, albeit at the minor-league level. He believes he learned enough in his cameos with Atlanta last year to prepare him for hitting in the majors. Defensively, he's already ready for prime time.

"I feel like I'm ready," he said Sunday. "I think I know how they are going to pitch me now. They showed me a lot inside and then pitched me away when I was up last year. I didn't see that in the minors. It's why it's called the big leagues."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

[email protected], 216-999-5639

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

3/7/06

Indians notebook

Youth sizzles in loss to Mets

Sizemore has three hits and drives in two runs. Marte adds two doubles

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->PORT ST. LUCIE, FLA. - None of these games count, but it wasn't apparent by the way Grady Sizemore played Monday, as the Indians lost to the New York Mets 6-3 at Tradition Field.
Sizemore was in dynamo mode, blasting two doubles, a solo homer and driving in two runs. He also walked, made a tough catch in sun-filled center field and ran the bases like he meant it. Which he always does.
``Grady was outstanding,'' Indians manager Eric Wedge said. ``He drove the ball all over the field and had an all-around great day.''
Sizemore wasn't the only one. Andy Marte, the prized minor-league third baseman who came from the Boston Red Sox in the Coco Crisp trade, doubled twice, once to right field.
Why is that significant? Marte had been pegged as a guy who too often tries to pull pitches rather than hitting them where they're pitched.
``He'll drive the ball to all fields,'' Wedge said. ``It's important for him to think, `up the middle.' You don't want a young player getting pull happy.''
It was a day for young players to shine. In addition to the heroics of Sizemore and Marte, Ryan Garko and Brad Snyder each singled and scored, and Jhonny Peralta doubled.
Jake Westbrook started and pitched three innings, allowing one run and one hit, a home run by Cliff Floyd with nobody on.
Spring time hazard
Franklin Gutierrez lost a ball in the right-field sun, which began a long two-thirds of an inning for Kazuhito Tadano.
The ball fell for a single and started a three-run rally.
Tribe outfielders have lost at least six balls in the sun over the past week, but that is not uncommon during spring training games.
``I would like us to figure out some of these sun balls,'' Wedge said. ``But that's really part of what happens early in the spring.''
Milestone near
The next time Mets backup first baseman Julio Franco hits a home run, he will become the oldest player to do so in the big leagues.
That distinction now belongs to a pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics, Jack Quinn, who was almost 47 when he homered in 1930.
Franco, twice a former Indian, turned 47 last August.
The return
Lou Merloni, sidelined over the weekend with a deep bruise in his right hand and wrist, returned to the field Monday, playing the last four innings at shortstop.
Merloni is trying to win a spot as the utility infielder, though Ramon Vazquez and Brandon Phillips are the front-runners because they have more experience at short and second base.
Marching onward
The Indians travel to Lakeland today to play the Detroit Tigers.
C.C. Sabathia will make his second start of the spring against Tigers left-hander Mike Maroth. Also scheduled to pitch are Cliff Lee, Steve Karsay, Scott Sauerbeck and Danny Graves.