Indians Tidbits (2006 season)..

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

3/16/06

Posted on Thu, Mar. 16, 2006
Tribe plans to start Marte in Triple-A

<!-- begin body-content -->DUNEDIN, FLA. - Quietly, Andy Marte has been having a notable spring, including a two-run double Wednesday as the Indians beat Toronto 4-3.
Both manager Eric Wedge and General Manager Mark Shapiro have emphasized that no matter how well Marte does during exhibition season, he will begin the year at Triple-A.
They also have said repeatedly that if Marte is ready -- and they think he will be -- he will get the opportunity to come to Cleveland sometime during the season.
If third baseman Aaron Boone were to reprise his two-month slump of last year, Marte could provide an alternative. But Boone seems bent on avoiding such problems.
At the moment, he is leading the club in hitting with a .524 average (11-for-21).
As for Marte, Wedge said: ``He's had a good chance to play here, and he's made the most of it. He also has fit in here very quietly.''
Marte was 1-for-3 against the Blue Jays to lift his average to .385 (10-for-26) with eight RBI, second on the team to Jhonny Peralta, who has nine and hit a solo homer Wednesday.
Maybe more telling than his average is that six of Marte's 10 hits have gone for extra bases. He leads the Tribe in doubles with five and has one home run.
GO WEST(BROOK) -- Jake Westbrook worked four solid innings (60 pitches), allowing one run, two hits and two walks while striking out two.
He has been working on a cut fastball this spring to go with his sinker, and apparently it is becoming an effective weapon.
``It lets him move the ball in either direction on the plate,'' Wedge said.
To right-handed batters, a cutter moves away, while the sinker -- still Westbrook's money pitch -- darts toward the inside part of the plate. For the spring, Westbrook has given up five runs in 13 innings (3.46 ERA), making four starts.
BULLPEN UPDATE -- Andrew Brown, one of four pitchers vying for the final spot in the bullpen, yielded two runs (one earned) on three hits in one inning.
THEY'RE BACK -- With Venezuela having been eliminated in the World Baseball Classic, Victor Martinez and Rafael Betancourt are expected to rejoin the Indians today.
Asked if he thought both players would be up to speed, Wedge said: ``We're not assured of that. We'll take a good look at that.''
SIGNING ON -- SportsTime Ohio, the in-house network that will televise 138 Tribe games on cable, signed up more distributors in Summit and Wayne County this week.
Adelphia, which serves Macedonia, Richfield, Copley and Bath, among other communities, will carry the games as will Doylestown Cable, which serves the Doylestown area.
MARCHING ONWARD -- The Indians return home to Chain O'Lakes Park this afternoon to play Minnesota. Cliff Lee will start against Darrell May, with Guillermo Mota, Matt Miller and Jason Davis scheduled to pitch out of the bullpen.

SHELDON OCKER​

​

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

3/16/06

Sowers going to minors

Future Tribe starter among nine players sent down by Wedge

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->DUNEDIN, FLA. - Jeremy Sowers is the first starting pitcher among what could become the Indians' ``Future Four'' to be dispatched to the minor-league camp for the rest of spring training.
Nine players were told on Wednesday to continue preparing for the season on the lower fields of Chain O' Lakes Park, as manager Eric Wedge made his first cuts of camp.
Right-handers Jake Dittler, Edward Mujica and Brian Slocum plus lefty Jason Stanford were optioned to Buffalo. First baseman Michael Aubrey and left-hander Rafael Perez were sent to Akron, and catcher Javier Herrera and lefty Tony Sipp were re-assigned to the minor-league camp but not to a specific team.
So was Sowers, but he will begin the season in the rotation at Triple-A. He probably will be joined by Stanford, Fausto Carmona and Jeremy Guthrie.
And if Jason Davis does not win the final spot in the Tribe bullpen, he might also start at Buffalo, though more likely he will settle in as a reliever at Triple-A.
If not for the fact that much of the Indians' rotation is less than 30 -- C.C. Sabathia, Cliff Lee, Jake Westbrook -- the four prospective starters at Buffalo might comprise four-fifths of Cleveland's starters some day.
General Manager Mark Shapiro and Wedge had ranked Carmona, Sowers and Guthrie (and possibly Davis if he stays out of the bullpen) as most likely to be summoned to the majors should a starter get hurt or fall into a deep slump.
Recently, Wedge ranked Carmona at the top of this pecking order, which might account for Sowers being the first to be sent to the minor-league complex.
``This was Jeremy's first camp,'' the manager explained. ``Considering the date and where we are in the spring, we want to make sure he makes his starts and gets his innings in.''
In other words, with less than half of training camp left, Wedge wants the big-league rotation to get the innings during exhibition games. That leaves little room to see Sowers.
But what about Carmona and Guthrie, who are still here (though maybe not for long)?
``We want to get Fausto another start, maybe more,'' Wedge said. ``We also want to see Jeremy another time or two. He had a rough day yesterday (one IP, four ER vs. Detroit), so we want to see how he bounces back from that.''
Sowers didn't have a dazzling spring statistically, giving up four earned runs and 11 hits in three appearances, working a total of 6 2/3 innings.
Uncharacteristically, he walked six, and his batting average against was .355.
On the other hand, as Wedge said, this was his first experience in a big-league camp, and he showed flashes of the skills he was expected to display. What he lacked was consistency.
``I know he's capable of a lot more than we saw here,'' Wedge said. ``He has a very bright future.''
Stanford is returning from Tommy John surgery and, though he has been pronounced fit, has struggled to maintain consistency. In four appearances, a total of 5 1/3 innings, he gave up eight earned runs, 11 hits and five walks.
In a start against Toronto on Tuesday, Stanford gave up two home runs and two triples in less than two innings.
Nevertheless, Wedge believes that Stanford will be ready when Buffalo begins its schedule.
``Yesterday, I think Jason was fighting himself mentally,'' the manager said. ``He got a little frustrated out there.
``When you come back (from major surgery), you tend to take two steps forward and one back. We're going to keep his pitch count down for the first month.''
Sipp made a positive impression on Wedge and the coaching staff, though he has pitched only 159 innings in his professional career, which has spanned two years.
``I like his presence on the mound,'' Wedge said. ``He got into a little jam the other day and was able to get through it.''
Sipp, a 45th-round draft pick who was primarily an outfielder at Clemson, is one of the few left-handed relievers in the upper levels of the Tribe organization. Consequently, if he progresses quickly, he has a chance to rise to the big leagues as early as this year.
Aubrey, a former first-round draftee, has spent as much time on the disabled list as he has on the field since beginning his career in 2003. Last year, a back injury forced him to miss all but 28 games at Akron, but he appears to be on track again.
``We're hopeful that Aubrey will get into a game this weekend,'' Wedge said. ``For him that would be a huge step. He's been fighting his body for a long time.''
When he has played, Aubrey has done nothing but hit. He carries a minor-league average of .314 in 596 at-bats.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

3/16/06

Indians' Hafner primed for stardom

TOM WITHERS

Associated Press

<!-- begin body-content -->WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Clutching a fresh-out-of-the-box baseball, the young Indians fan spotted his first target for an autograph. He knew the muscular player was with Cleveland - the blue uniform being a dead giveaway. But for some reason, the kid couldn't quite place the face.
"Who is that?" he asked.
"That's Travis Hafner."
"Oh," the kid said.
That's fairly typical treatment for Hafner, who despite being one of baseball's premier power hitters can walk the streets of Cleveland or the beaches in Hawaii without being recognized.
For some reason, Hafner isn't seen as a star. Not yet, anyway. Maybe it's because he plays for the mid-market Indians, who don't enjoy the same publicity given to say the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox or Chicago White Sox.
But Hafner's days in the shadows could soon be over.
If he has another season like last year, the 28-year-old Hafner, better known to Cleveland fans as the hulking but lovable "Pronk," will be known from coast to coast.
In 2005, Hafner brought the Indians to the doorstep of the AL playoffs. The hard-swinging left-hander batted .305 with 33 homers and 108 RBIs - high numbers that are even more impressive when you consider he got them in just 137 games.
Hafner, who finished fifth in the AL MVP voting, missed a chunk of games in July and early August after he was struck in the face with a breaking pitch by Chicago's Mark Buehrle. That beaning not only hurt Hafner, who suffered from dizziness for weeks, but it damaged the Indians, who were in the playoff hunt until a collapse in the final week.
"When I got hit, I was going so good at the plate," Hafner said. "Then, you take two weeks off from seeing live pitching and it's almost like going through spring training again. When I came back, I got some hits here and there but I didn't have the consistency where I put up good at-bat after good at-bat.
"If you made good pitches, you got me out."
That wasn't often last season as Hafner finished in the AL's Top 10 in average, doubles, walks, RBI ratio, home run ratio and extra-base hits. He homered in a career-high six straight games from Sept. 18-24 when the Indians were pushing Chicago for the AL Central lead. At one point during the homer streak, Hafner had 10 straight extra-base hits.
But while some baseball fans haven't fully appreciated Hafner's clout, his name strikes fear in others.
"Man, Travis is good," Toronto's Josh Towers said. "He's got power to all fields. He might not get as much hype as David Ortiz or guys like that. He's been kind of been hiding in the AL Central. But he's well known to us pitchers."
Hafner's career has been on a steady climb since the Indians acquired him in a 2002 trade from Texas. He hit 14 homers in 2003, and followed up with 28 homers and 109 RBIs in '04.
He attributes his success to hard work and an ability to block out everything but him and the pitcher.
"I'm real competitive," said Hafner, who had four 20-plus-homer seasons in the minors. "I know what the pitcher is going to throw and how he's going to try and get me out. It's kind of, `I know what you got, you know what I've got, let's see who wins.'"
Other than a December vacation in Hawaii with his fiancee, Hafner spent much of the winter working out in Cleveland. His training partner was former Indians infielder John McDonald, who quickly learned Hafner is all business in the gym.
"He pushed me to get stronger," McDonald said. "But what impressed me the most about Travis was his agility. He ran a lot."
McDonald also found out that Pronk - short for part project, part donkey - is prompt.
"He has routines," McDonald said. "If he says be at the gym at 8 o'clock in the morning, you'd better be there because he'll be waiting."
Hafner, who grew up in the tiny town of Sykeston, N.D., is an interesting study. One minute, he's talking pro wrestling - a Pronk passion - at a table in the Indians' clubhouse. Moments later, he's engaged in a serious chess match with pitcher Paul Byrd.
Recently, Hafner got a chance to meet some of his World Wrestling Entertainment idols during an event in Cleveland.
"We had backstage passes and front-row seats," he said. "It was pretty cool."
Asked whom he met, Hafner ripped off a list of WWE stars like Triple-H, Big Show, Mark Henry and Torrie Wilson.
"I don't know if they really knew me, but the guy who was taking us around, said, `This guy plays baseball for Cleveland,'" Hafner said. "They thought that was pretty cool."

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

3/16/06

Hollandsworth in hunt for outfield

Thursday, March 16, 2006


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


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DURABLE ENOUGH?
Indians
outfielder Todd
Hollandsworth hasn’t played a full season since he was National League Rookie of the Year in 1996.
repository AL GAMERTSFELDER
​

<HR align=left width="80%">Related Stories
Indians Notebook: Stanford, Sowers among victims of first big cutdown

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WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - If Todd Hollandsworth’s professional baseball career has to mirror that of football’s Adam Vinatieri, he can live with that.
“A guy who pinch-hits is very similar to being a placekicker in football,” the veteran Cleveland Indians outfielder said. “You haven’t been involved all day. But, when the game is on the line, here you come. Your opportunity to contribute is different than an everyday player. But if you prepare every day just as if you were a starter, you will contribute and you will succeed.”
The 32-year-old Dayton native is battling Jason Dubois for the fourth outfielder’s spot on the Indians roster when the team breaks camp. Hollandsworth hasn’t always been a part-time player — he was National League Rookie of the Year in 1996 — but he is a player who has offered solid contributions in what is a difficult role for many.
“One thing about Todd is, he’s done this before,” Manager Eric Wedge said. “He knows how to keep himself ready.”
Hollandsworth is a left-handed hitter, making him a late-inning pinch-hit alternative for right-handed corner outfielders Jason Michaels and Casey Blake. He is also a player who has learned to live with not being able to play every day. Hollandsworth hasn’t been given more than 430 at-bats in a season since his rookie year.
“There are different definitions of the job in the two leagues, and I’ve spent 98 percent of my career in the National League,” Hollandsworth said.
“You have to sell yourself out to your role. You have to look at it as your job. You can’t take it easy because you think you might not play the next day. You have to come into every day with the mentality that says, ‘Hey, today I’m playing.’ ”
Unfortunately for Hollandsworth, his body hasn’t always kept up with his mentality. He has been on the disabled list 11 times since 1995 and missed the entire second half of the 2004 season after fouling a ball off his right shin.
“The toughest thing about this role for some guys is that you can’t really judge yourself on a day-to-day basis,” Hollandsworth said. “You might go 0-for-4 but start the next day. You might go 4-for-4 and sit on the bench the next day. The only way you have a chance to succeed in that situation is to think positive thoughts.”
Hollandsworth played a positive role for the 2003 Florida Marlins team that won the World Series. He was 3-for-3 with a walk and drove in two runs during the National League Championship Series that year after batting .350 as a pinch-hitter during the regular season. Hollandsworth said he sees many similarities between that team and the 2006 Indians.
“That was a team like this one, a team that’s really just starting to come together,” Hollandsworth said. “It was a starless team in that most of the stars, like (Miguel) Cabrera, were still young guys who were just figuring things out. “This clubhouse is full of guys who believe in each other. They’re doing things right here.” Reach Repository sports writer Andy Call at (330) 580-8346 or e-mail [email protected].
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

3/16/06

<H1 class=red>Grapefruit gab

</H1>

Thursday, March 16, 2006



What: Game No. 17 vs. Toronto at Dunedin, Fla.

Score: Indians (12-5) win, 4-3.

Rundown: Jake Westbrook continued his strong spring with one run in four innings. Andy Marte's two-run double off Ted Lilly in the fourth was the difference.

Handicapping the position races: Catcher Einar Diaz's throwing error at second base led to a run in the sixth. . . . Brandon Phillips, trying to win the utility infielder's job, ended the sixth with a nice catch at second. Lou Merloni, competing with Phillips, hit a leadoff double in the ninth. . . . Andrew Brown, vying for a bullpen spot, gave up one earned run in two innings.

Other observations: Outfielders Franklin Gutierrez and Brad Snyder made nice catches in center and right field, respectively, in the third. . . . Kaz Tadano, with the tying run on third, recorded the final two outs for his first save.

Next: Twins at Winter Haven, Fla., at 1:05 p.m.

- Paul Hoynes

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

3/17/06

INDIANS NOTEBOOK

<!-- begin body-content -->WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - Lee blames `dead arm'
problem after bad outing
It was not a good day for Cliff Lee.
The Indians' 12-5 loss to Minnesota at Chain O' Lakes Park was mostly a product of his struggles. In four innings, Lee gave up five runs and seven hits, including a home run by Ruben Sierra and two walks the same inning, one of which scored a run.
That is not typical of Lee. The saving grace: Spring training games don't go in the record books.
``I felt like the only pitch I could locate was my fastball, and I didn't do that very well,'' Lee said.
Once pitchers pass the halfway point of training camp, there is a phrase that repeatedly pops up: ``dead arm period.''
``My body is starting to get a little tired and I think I'm going through that dead arm period,'' Lee said. ``I've heard a lot of guys talking about that lately.''
Lee doesn't expect the malady to last long.
``The dead arm usually lasts about a week,'' he said. ``Just about the time you're ready to bounce back, it's just time to get the season going.''
HAFNER BALL -- Travis Hafner walloped his third home run of the spring and singled to drive in two runs. He also took the team lead with a .579 average (11-for-19).
Rafael Vazquez also got two hits, including his third double, to lift his average to .303.
MORE CUTS -- After trimming nine players from big-league camp earlier in the week, the Indians sent six more to the minor-league complex Thursday.
Kazuhito Tadano was optioned to Buffalo, and outfielder Brad Snyder was optioned to Akron. Four other players were reassigned to the minor-league camp without designating a team: catcher Armando Camacaro, outfielder Todd Donovan, third baseman Jake Gautreau and infielder/outfielder Joe Inglett.

SHELDON OCKER​

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

3/17/06

Tribe duo thinks the world of Classic

Friday, March 17, 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]




WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Perhaps the World Baseball Classic hasn’t exactly captured the imagination of players or fans in the United States.
For Victor Martinez and Rafael Betancourt, however, there was nothing like it.
“It was a great time, a great experience,” Martinez said. “Competing for your country is something you won’t forget. I’d definitely do it again.”
Martinez and Betancourt both played for Venezeula. Their team advanced out of first-round pool play, but was eliminated in the second round. The players returned to the Indians on Thursday.
Martinez was 3-for-15 (.200) with five RBIs, four coming on a grand slam. He caught two games and worked three as a designated hitter. Betancourt pitched 12/3 scoreless innings in two appearances, allowing one hit and striking out one. He also worked an inning during an exhibition game against Philadelphia.
Both were examined by Indians trainers Thursday, pronounced fit, and are scheduled to be in the lineup for the Tribe’s spring training game today against Pittsburgh at Bradenton, Fla.
Betancourt said the Venezuelan players took the tournament seriously.
“I didn’t see anybody who didn’t care if we won or lost,” Betancourt said. “Our fans were very sad we lost. It was a big thing for our country. I know I was wearing a uniform with ‘Venezuela’ on the chest, so I was glad to be there.”
The energy of the fans helped sustain the spirits of players who weren’t yet at their best physically.
“When we played the Dominican (in Orlando), there were 10,000 people, but they made noise like 30,000,” Martinez said. “Maybe you aren’t ready yet, but the fans keep you up.”
“I was out there throwing 93, 94 mph,” Betancourt said. “Maybe it was the excitement of the games.”
The Dominican team, which includes Indians second baseman Ronnie Belliard, advanced to the semifinal round that begins Saturday in San Diego. The other Indians players participating in the WBC, first baseman Eduardo Perez and right-hander Fernando Cabrera, are expected to rejoin Cleveland today after Puerto Rico was eliminated.
Betancourt likes Korea’s chances to win, while Martinez picked the Dominican team — at the prodding of Dominican native Guillermo Mota in the adjacent locker.
Both players said they believe they will be able to resume playing for the Indians without missing a beat.
“I’m ready to go,” Martinez said. “I don’t feel like I’ve lost any time,” Betancourt said. “I feel great.” Reach Repository sports writer Andy Call at (330) 580-8346 or e-mail [email protected].
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

3/17/06

Tribe stakes much on precocious Sizemore, Peralta


Friday, March 17, 2006
Paul Hoynes
Plain Dealer Reporter


Winter Haven, Fla.- Baseball doesn't ask for much from its players - just everything.

A year ago, Jhonny Peralta and Grady Sizemore played well in their first full season for the Indians. Peralta broke a team record for homers by a shortstop that stood for 44 years. Sizemore unleashed a blizzard of offense linking him to Robbie Alomar as the only Indian to hit 20 doubles, 10 triples, 20 homers and steal 20 bases in one season.

So stunned were the Indians by those numbers that when the 2005 season ended, GM Mark Shapiro said, "Anybody who said they predicted those kind of seasons for Jhonny or Grady isn't telling the truth."

In baseball, there is no truth like statistics. The numbers alongside Peralta and Sizemore are gaudy.

Peralta: .292 (147-for-504), 82 runs, 35 doubles, four triples, 24 homers and 78 RBI.

Sizemore: .289 (185-for-640), 111 runs, 37 doubles, 11 triples, 22 homers, 81 RBI and 22 steals.

The question the two 23-year-olds keep hearing this spring is even gaudier - can you do it again?

Greatness in baseball is built by the calendar. One good season makes you Joe Charboneau. Something closer to 20 good seasons makes you Duke Snider with 400 homers, 1,100 RBI and a plaque at Cooperstown.

Certainly pitchers will change the way they approach Peralta and Sizemore.

"They started throwing me the slider down and away in the second half last year," said Peralta. "Oakland and the White Sox did it the most. That pitch is never a strike. I need to work on that pitch."

Said Sizemore: "It's always a cat-and-mouse game. Pitchers are always trying to get you to do too much."

When Peralta said, "I hit everything no matter what they threw me," he might as well have been speaking for Sizemore as well.

Yes, there was the last week of the season when the Indians took themselves out of the playoffs by losing six of their final seven games. Sizemore hit .156 (5-for-32) in that stretch. Peralta hit .296 (8-for-27).

But it's hard to hold 32 at-bats against Sizemore when he did so much good in over 700 plate appearances.

"Once you get established in the big leagues, it becomes a game of adjustments," said manager Eric Wedge following Thursday's 12-5 loss to the Twins. "I believe Jhonny and Grady will be able to adjust this year because they did a good job at it last year."

When a player has a good first year, he is immediately warned about the sophomore jinx. Jody Gerut laughed at such talk after leading the Indians in homers and RBI as a rookie in 2003. He was injured and traded twice by the end of last season.

Peralta and Sizemore, unlike Gerut, were not rookies last year. Peralta played 77 games in 2003. Sizemore played 43 games in 2004.

Those extra big-league at-bats proved important.

"That time in 2003 helped me," said Peralta. "It showed me I could play in the big leagues defensively. I know there would be a difference in hitting, but when I went to Buffalo in 2004, it seemed easier for me."

Peralta hit .326 with 35 doubles, 24 homers and 78 RBI at Class AAA Buffalo and was named the International League Player of the Year in 2004. The Indians recently signed him to a five-year, $13 million contract.

"I felt more pressure last year than I do this year," said Peralta. "They've given me everything I need - security, money."

The Indians are negotiating a multiyear deal with Sizemore as well.

"Both sides are trying to find the middle ground before the season opens," he said.

Security is important before the start of a season, but the stats have to come first.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

[email protected], 216-999-5158

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

3/18/06

Lone southpaw digging in

Sauerbeck assuming role as only left-hander in bullpen for Indians

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->BRADENTON, FLA. - Scott Sauerbeck is not one of the Indians' higher profile players.
On the other hand, if the team decides to look for oil beneath the infield at Jacobs Field, Sauerbeck will be the man to see, having graduated with a degree in geology from Miami of Ohio.
As yet, Tribe owners Larry and Paul Dolan haven't called on Sauerbeck to perform that kind of service, but if the club's new television network doesn't pan out, who knows?
In the meantime, Sauerbeck will have a unique position in the bullpen: He is the Tribe's only left-handed reliever, inasmuch as Arthur Rhodes was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies over the winter.
Coordinating a bullpen with a single lefty can be an iffy proposition for a manager, though manager Eric Wedge said Friday that it wouldn't be a problem.
``With Scott, I'll just pick the most important time in the game to use him,'' Wedge said, as if that will be a slam dunk. ``As the game moves along, you kind of sense the right opportunity. You can see it developing.''
There will be times when Wedge needs two left-handers.
``We have guys on our bullpen who can get lefties out,'' he said. ``Historically, (Guillermo) Mota has been better against left-handed hitters than he has against righties. And we've already seen what Fernando Cabrera can do.''
Sauerbeck doesn't think being the only left-hander in the bullpen is an ideal situation for a pitcher.
``I'm not a big fan of that,'' he said. ``I've never been the only guy -- except when somebody has gotten hurt -- but it seems like you warm up more than you pitch, because the manager isn't sure when to put you in.
``But if I pitch well, I'll get to throw more. Basically, it's up to me.''
Sauerbeck didn't think that he was used enough last year and said so, but when he had a chance to leave as a free agent, he didn't.
``Cleveland took a chance on me when nobody else would, so it was an easy decision,'' Sauerbeck said.
As for wanting to pitch more, he said: ``Doesn't everybody? I actually pitched myself into that situation.''
Sauerbeck appeared in 58 games, but being used mostly as a situational left-hander, he worked only 35 2/3 innings, compiling a 1-0 record and 4.04 ERA.
``I knew that one year after surgery, I wouldn't be as good as two years after surgery,'' said Sauerbeck, who underwent a shoulder operation in January 2004.
Sauerbeck and Wedge have seen a positive difference in his stuff this spring.
``I haven't been to the trainer's room yet,'' Sauerbeck said. ``That's what it was like most of my career, before I got hurt. For the first few years I pitched, the trainer didn't even know my name.''
Sauerbeck doesn't think that he's the same pitcher he was before surgery, but he believes that he can be more proficient than he was in 2005.
``I still don't have all my arm strength back. I don't know if I ever will,'' he said. ``But last year, my fastball was 82 (mph) and my change-up 80. That pretty well eliminated those two pitches.
``I tried to compete with what I had. If I was throwing 82, I tried to move the ball around a lot.''
Sauerbeck is exaggerating, but at times, he probably felt as if he didn't have any viable weapons. This spring, he has felt almost like he's using a different arm.
``I can tell when the ball comes out of my hand,'' he said. ``I've never been a big radar-gun guy. I never saw a gun ever get anybody out, although it can get you a million-dollar contract.''
Wedge has noticed an upgrade in Sauerbeck's arm during camp.
``I think there's more life on his pitches this spring,'' the manager said.
Pitching one inning Friday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Sauerbeck gave up a leadoff home run to Jose Castillo and hit a batter, but struck out two.
Maybe one factor in Sauerbeck's continuing recovery from surgery is his offseason program, or lack of one.
``I enjoy my time off,'' he said, adding, ``I do absolutely nothing. Relievers are ready to go every game. It's a high pressure job. That's why I have gray hair. It's nice in the winter not to have that pressure and be able to relax.''
Sauerbeck considers the west coast of Florida his permanent home, but he also maintains a condominium in Cincinnati, where he grew up.
``My parents live there, and I have other family there,'' he said. ``I come up all the time for Bengals games. I have season tickets and go to all the (home) games after we get done playing.''
Sauerbeck isn't about to knock the life of a pitcher/geologist, particularly now that his left arm no longer hurts.
``It used to be that it ached all day and was stiff all night,'' he said. ``I couldn't sleep. And last year, it's like my arm was surgically tight, if that makes sense. I could never really get loose.''

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

3/18/06

Wickman debunks rumor about 2005 arm injury

<!-- begin body-content -->BRADENTON, FLA. - about 2005 arm injury
Bob Wickman wanted to make one thing perfectly clear.
His right arm did not hurt last year. Not for an hour, not for a minute, despite what he saw on the Internet.
``I saw so many things on the Internet that said my arm hurt,'' Wickman said Friday with an edge in his voice. ``I think it hurt me in free agency.''
Wickman, the Indians' closer, seldom threw his sinking fastball in 2005, but not because it hurt him to do so.
``It was flat, it didn't sink,'' said Wickman, who added that the sinker has regained its life. ``If my arm did hurt, I wouldn't be here today. But GMs look at that stuff on the Internet.
``One of them said to my agent, `Is Bob hurt?' and he said, `Where is everybody getting that information from?'
``Everything worked out fine. I'm not complaining about that. I picked three teams, and all three were right there. The thing is, I don't believe anything I read, but some people do.''
Wickman worked one hitless inning Friday, striking out two, then declared himself ready for the season.
``Basically, what I had today and last time out is what I've got,'' he said. ``I'd like my command of the four-seamer to be a little finer, but there are days during the season when it's not worth a darn.''
So far this spring, Wickman has made five appearances and given up three runs in five innings, walking none and striking out four.
ONE-RUN LOSS -- Danny Graves walked in a run with the bases loaded to give the Pittsburgh Pirates a 3-2 win at McKechnie Field. In the race for a bullpen spot, Steve Karsay yielded one run and two hits in his inning; Graves allowed one run, one hit and three walks in two-thirds of an inning.
``Danny was just a little off today,'' manager Eric Wedge said.
Paul Byrd delivered four scoreless innings, allowing no walks and three hits, striking out three.
``He's a veteran pitcher who knows what he needs to do,'' Wedge said. ``Every time out, he gets a little better.''
Wedge was pleased with something else.
Said Wedge: ``It was his first time throwing to Victor (Martinez), and they looked like they were on the same page.''

SHELDON OCKER​

​

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

3/18/06

Plans at catcher hinge on backup


Saturday, March 18, 2006 Paul Hoynes
Plain Dealer Reporter
Bradenton, Fla. -- There is a rumor that Victor Martinez will not catch as much this season. It is a rumor that has apparently made inroads with everyone except the man who makes out the lineup card.

"I know everyone else thinks Victor caught too much last year," said Indians manager Eric Wedge, "but look at how strong he finished. He was the best hitter in the big leagues in the second half of the season."

Martinez caught 142 games last season, second most in baseball next to Oakland's Jason Kendall. Martinez hit .380 (100-for-263) after the All-Star break.

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<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript"><!--if (parseFloat(navigator.appVersion) == 0) {document.write('<IFRAME WIDTH=468 HEIGHT=60 MARGINWIDTH=0 MARGINHEIGHT=0 HSPACE=0 VSPACE=0 FRAMEBORDER=0 SCROLLING=no BORDERCOLOR="#000000" SRC="http://ads.cleveland.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_sx.ads/www.cleveland.com/xml/story/s5/s5tri/@StoryAd"></IFRAME>');}--></SCRIPT><NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT>"I'm sure if you asked Victor, he'd say he wanted to catch just as many games this year," said Wedge.

Wedge, a former catcher himself, was speaking mostly from the heart. He knows a fewer games behind the plate wouldn't hurt Martinez.

"There is some wear involved," admitted Wedge. "The big thing is keeping Victor's bat in the lineup."

The Indians have to make good choices to do that. First, they have to pick the right backup catcher between Kelly Shoppach and Einar Diaz. Then, they have to find out how well Travis Hafner and Martinez can play first base.

"Resting Victor isn't just a matter of playing him at first base," said General Manager Mark Shapiro. "A lot more goes into it than that."

Hafner, one of the best designated hitters in the American League, has played well at first this spring. His surgically repaired right elbow has allowed him to make the required throws, while not taking away from his bat speed.

Ideally, Wedge would like to play Martinez at first on the days he doesn't catch. It would allow him to move Martinez behind the plate if an injury forced a lineup change during the game.

If Martinez DH'd, he'd be locked into that spot unless Wedge forfeited the DH and let his pitcher bat.

Martinez, a converted shortstop, played some first in the minors. He caught six innings in Friday's 3-2 loss to Pittsburgh. It was only his second game of the spring because he played with Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic.

"Victor was fine," said Wedge. "He said he took some ground balls at first base with the Venezuelan team."

Giving Martinez a true rest -- letting him DH -- will require a leap of faith by Wedge. It means he's not only willing to play Hafner at first, but can turn the game over to whoever wins the backup catcher's job.

Playing behind Martinez is lonely work. Josh Bard spent last season with the Tribe and caught only 20 games. It was like a drywall man slinging plaster on Leonardo da Vinci's day off.

At the moment, the race between Shoppach and Diaz is too close to call.

"We're going to use all the time left in camp to make a decision," said Shapiro. "Neither one has taken command."

Diaz, 33, spent 12 years in the Indians' organization. He was traded to Texas in December of 2002 in a deal that brought Hafner to Jacobs Field. Playing a part in the theft of Hafner should be reason enough to give Diaz the job, but baseball doesn't work like that.

"I've got to have a good camp to win the job," said Diaz. "We've got two weeks left."

Diaz, hitting .400 (8-for-20) with one homer and three RBI, has not thrown well.

The Indians acquired Shoppach, 25, from Boston in the Coco Crisp trade.

He's thrown well and done a good job handling the pitching staff. But he's done nothing offensively, hitting .091 (2-for-22).

"Coming over in the Coco trade gives Shoppach a long-term edge, but not a short-term edge," said Shapiro. "We'll make our decision based on who can help us the most this year."

Wedge says he'll pick the backup based on the "total picture" of what he expects from a catcher. Right now, the picture is still hazy.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

[email protected], 216-999-5158

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

3/18/06

<H1 class=red>Grapefruit gab

</H1>

Saturday, March 18, 2006



What: Game No. 19 vs. Pittsburgh at Bradenton, Fla.

Score: Indians (12-7) lost, 3-2.

Rundown: Paul Byrd threw four scoreless innings, but Danny Graves walked in the winning run in the eighth.

Handicapping the position races: Graves loaded the bases with no outs on a single by Jose Hernandez, hit by pitch and a walk. A neat 3-2-3 double play by Ryan Garko and Einar Diaz almost saved him, but he walked the next two batters. Steve Karsay was charged with a blown save when he couldn't protect a 2-1 lead in the seventh. Graves and Karsay will pitch again today.
Other observations: With Andy Marte on second and Jason Dubois on first with no outs in the second, Byrd tried a sacrifice bunt. Third baseman Joe Randa made a diving stop and threw to shortstop Jack Wilson for the force at third. Wilson threw to second baseman Jose Castillo, covering first, for a 5-6-4 double play.

Next: Houston at Winter Haven, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

- Paul Hoynes

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

3/18/06

Indians’ Wickman adds wrinkle to his sinker

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Scott Priestle
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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BRADENTON, Fla. — Bob Wickman retired Sean Casey, Jason Bay and Jody Gerut in order yesterday, on a soft line drive and two strikeouts. It was his fourth 1-2-3 inning in five appearances this spring.
"Doesn’t mean a thing," he said.
Wickman does not worry about spring training statistics, and he does not worry about 1-2-3 innings even during the regular season. A runner on second base with nobody out does not concern him as much as it concerns Cleveland Indians fans.
If there is a reason for optimism over Wickman’s performance this spring, it is that he has had consistent sink on his bread-and-butter sinker. He tied for the American League lead with 45 saves last season despite an intermittent sinker through the first two months.
"I turned into a different pitcher," he said.
Wickman relied on his four-seam fastball and slider until he felt comfortable with the sinker. He tweaked his mechanics during the off-season to get even more movement on the pitch, and he has used spring training to regain his feel for it.
"You’ve got to make adjustments," he said. "Kids that don’t, don’t stick around."
With a runner on base last season, Wickman held opponents to a .149 batting average, tops among AL relievers. With a runner in scoring position, he allowed an .094 average and a .113 slugging percentage. By comparison, with nobody on base, opponents hit .306 with a .521 slugging percentage against Wickman.
He knows when he can challenge hitters, and when — and how — to nibble at the corners.
"You don’t really need to worry much about giving him direction," manager Eric Wedge said. "He’s going to do what he’s going to do, and there’s a reason for it. Just sit back and enjoy the ride."
Wickman converted 45 of 50 save chances last season and 58 of 64 since returning in mid-2004 from elbow surgery. He has 124 saves in an Indians uniform — five short of Doug Jones’ club record — against 14 blown saves.
Indians officials still courted free agents B.J. Ryan and Trevor Hoffman last winter, as they courted Troy Percival and Armando Benitez a year earlier. Wickman said he had three teams he was interested in pitching for, but it did not take long to hammer out a deal once the Indians called. He signed a one-year deal hours after Hoffman agreed to re-sign with San Diego.
"It definitely worked out," Wickman said.
Hit and run

Danny Graves retired one of the six hitters he faced in a 3-2 loss to Pittsburgh in McKechnie Field. He allowed a bloop single, hit a batter and walked three. Wedge said Graves and Steve Karsay will pitch again today, the first time this spring they have pitched in consecutive games. . . . Catcher-turned-first baseman Ryan Garko made two nice scoops to start and finish a 3-2-3 double play in the eighth inning. "That was nice," Wedge said. "I’m really pleased with him and (Travis Hafner) over there."
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

3/19/06

Ocker on the Indians

Picking team easy this year

Graves, Shoppach, Vazquez choices to get three positions still up for grabs

<!-- begin body-content -->WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - It's time to pick the team.
Given the fact that practically the entire Indians roster was set before spring training began, this shouldn't be difficult, which is fine with me.
The only job openings: one relief pitcher, a backup catcher and a utility infielder. Let's start with the sure things, which you probably already know about, unless you got stuck in a snowdrift at the Winter Olympics and haven't found your way home yet.
• Rotation: C.C. Sabathia, Cliff Lee, Jake Westbrook, Paul Byrd, Jason Johnson.
• Bullpen: Bob Wickman, Guillermo Mota, Rafael Betancourt, Scott Sauerbeck, Fernando Cabrera, Matt Miller.
• Infield: Ben Broussard/Eduardo Perez (platoon at first), Ronnie Belliard, Jhonny Peralta, Aaron Boone.
• Catcher: Victor Martinez.
• Outfield: Jason Michaels, Grady Sizemore, Casey Blake.
• Designated hitter: Travis Hafner.
• Bench: Todd Hollandsworth.
What passes for a raging competition involves four relievers: Steve Karsay, Danny Graves, Jason Davis and Andrew Brown, who are fighting for one berth in the bullpen.
Even though only two weeks remain until the season opener against the White Sox in Chicago, there is no clear-cut front-runner.
The race is close enough that if one of these pitchers is dominating for the remainder of the exhibition schedule, he probably will prevail. However, it does not appear that anyone is about to don a blue cape and leap tall buildings with a single bound.
More than likely, steady performance will win the day. In that regard, my pick to earn the roster spot is Graves. Not only is he experienced in facing late-inning pressure, but he also seems to have re-discovered his mechanics and how to make his pitches move in the strike zone.
In Graves' final appearance with the Cincinnati Reds last summer, he was virtually helpless against the Tribe, throwing 82 mph fastballs, as Indians hitters mercilessly teed off on him.
The next day, the Reds released him. Eventually, the New York Mets signed Graves, but he limped to the end of the season without regaining the form he showed as a 40-save-per-season closer.
This spring, Graves' fastball has settled in between 87-89 mph, the norm when he was successful. His breaking pitches have improved, and no longer does he have the look of a drowning man pleading for a life preserver.
Karsay has been throwing 90 mph fastballs, about 4 mph short of what he delivered before he underwent shoulder surgery and missed almost all of the past three seasons.
He isn't throwing poorly, just not as well as he used to. It's my guess that as the year wears on, his arm will get stronger and his confidence will grow. Right now, I think he's behind Graves.
Davis has been inconsistent. For me, he is still a starter trying to adjust to the bullpen. If it were my call, I'd keep him in a rotation. Manager Eric Wedge disagrees.
Brown might have the most upside of the group. Two weeks ago, he was throwing 94-96 mph. That's pretty early in spring to show that kind of velocity.
There is no question about the quality of his stuff. It's above average, maybe far above average. Brown has had problems keeping the ball down and delivering quality strikes to the edges of the plate.
Brown has been a reliever for only a year. He still has things to learn. Moreover, he appears to be trying a little too hard to show he belongs on the team. This is his first real opportunity to win a job in the majors, and he is all too aware of it, maybe to his detriment.
Tribe deep-thinkers continue to say Brandon Phillips has a chance to beat out Ramon Vazquez for the utility infielder spot.
Technically, that is possible. It probably would take at least one spectacular play a day in the infield and an .800 batting average with a .950 on-base percentage. That isn't happening.
Wedge and General Manager Mark Shapiro are unlikely to trust the only reserve infield berth to a player who has been an underachiever since coming to the Tribe from the Montreal Expos in 2002.
The best thing that can happen to Phillips is to somehow escape the Tribe. Another season at Buffalo (he spent most of his time in Triple-A the past four years) probably would be counterproductive.
Shapiro tried to trade Phillips over the winter to no avail. Phillips is out of options, which means he can't be outrighted to the minors again unless he clears waivers. He needs a change of scenery. Maybe he finally will get it.
The other contest is between rookie Kelly Shoppach and Einar Diaz, who are competing for the honor of backing up Martinez. Shoppach clearly is the player of choice for the team's brass.
He has displayed a strong arm and a quick release. More than likely, it will take time for him to polish his game-calling skills, but that's true for almost all novices.
There has been one problem: Shoppach needs to mix in a hit now and then. In his ninth game of the spring Thursday, Shoppach finally got his second hit. When he didn't produce out of the gate, Shoppach probably started to press. Moreover, he is not alleged to be the second coming of Yogi Berra or Carlton Fisk at the plate.
Because he has shown the skills necessary to be an effective defender -- always the No. 1 priority for a backup catcher -- he'll get the job.
Now comes the tough part. Every year, I write that at least one thing will happen to the Indians that is totally unpredictable and illogical.
In 2005, there were at least three of these anomalies: the same five pitchers making all but four starts, Aaron Boone falling into a slump for two solid months and Kevin Millwood leading the league in earned-run average but winning only nine games.
This season, it will be Broussard hitting 30 home runs, even though he is sharing first base with Perez.
Does this make any sense? Absolutely not, so count on it.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

3/19/06

Sabathia continues with spring training struggles

Sunday, March 19, 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]




WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - The U.S. team in the World Baseball Classic had its problems with pitching, leading to its elimination in the semifinal round.
C.C. Sabathia is just thankful he wasn’t there to add to the mess.
“They didn’t pitch that well,” Sabathia said Saturday. “That sounds crazy, me saying that after declining to go, but they didn’t. But I couldn’t have helped the way I pitched today. I definitely made the right choice.”
The U.S. had a team ERA of 3.75 in six Classic games. Even that number would look attractive to Sabathia right now, however.
The big left-hander has made four starts this spring. He has given up 17 runs in those starts, though only 12 earned (8.76 ERA). In 12 1/3 innings, Sabathia has been charged with 19 hits and seven walks (but struck out 15).
Indians fans saw both good and bad from Sabathia during a 6-5 win over Houston at Chain of Lakes Park. He worked two scoreless innings, gave up two runs in the third, then couldn’t get out of the fourth and his pitch count reached 80. Two runs were charged to Sabathia after he left when reliever Ben Howard surrendered a two-run single on the first pitch he threw to Morgan Ensberg.
“This was the best I’ve been all spring as far as my stuff,” Sabathia said. “I was behind (in the count) a lot, though. You’re going to give up hits when you’re behind in the count so much.”
Manager Eric Wedge joined Sabathia in not being terribly concerned over Houston’s five earned runs in 3 2/3 innings.
“That was as good as he’s looked all spring,” Wedge said. “The ball was coming out of his hand good and he was staying in his delivery.”
Sabathia has three more spring-training outings scheduled prior to his Opening Day start at Chicago on April 3.
“I need to concentrate on getting those first-pitch strikes, but I think I’m pretty close to being ready,” Sabathia said.
INDIANS 6, ASTROS 5
Danny Graves, Steve Karsay and Jason Davis continued their battle for the lone open spot in the Indians bullpen, each throwing a scoreless inning of relief as Cleveland (13-7) edged Houston.
“All four of those guys are still in the mix right now,” Wedge said, noting that right-hander Andrew Brown is also in competition. “We don’t break camp until two weeks from today.”
Cleveland won despite being outhit 11-4, thanks to four Astros errors. Grady Sizemore had an RBI triple, Jason Michaels an RBI double.

TODAY The Indians will travel to Tampa to meet the Yankees this afternoon at 1:15. Jason Johnson will start for Cleveland against Randy Johnson. Guillermo Mota and Fausto Carmona are scheduled to follow Jason Johnson.
THE END How good are the Indians? So good, they sent the American League home-run leader to the minor leagues Saturday. Outfielder Ryan Mulhern, whose four homers were tied for first in the AL, was reassigned to minor-league camp. He was batting .250 with a double and seven RBIs in 15 games. The Indians have cut their spring-training roster from 58 to 40 over the last week.
UNDER THE WEATHER Infielder Brandon Phillips left camp Saturday morning after complaining of flu-like symptoms. Phillips is hitting .323 with two doubles and two home runs in 31 at-bats.
ADD TWO First baseman Eduardo Perez and right-hander Fernando Cabrera have returned to the Indians after playing for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. The only Cleveland player still participating in the WBC is second baseman Ronnie Belliard (Dominican Republic). Perez entered Saturday’s game in the fifth inning, was 1-for-2 and made seven putouts at first. Cabrera threw 30 pitches in a minor-league game, allowing one hit while striking out three over 2 1/3 innings.
SWITCH THAT Carmona was originally scheduled to start today, but Johnson asked to pitch against the Yankees instead of in a minor-league games. ON THE FARM Victor Martinez was 1-for-4 with a walk and a home run while playing first base in a minor-league game Saturday. Reach Repository sports writer Andy Call at (330) 580-8346 or e-mail [email protected].
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