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Indians Tidbits (2006 season)..

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Toss in an Orel Hershieser and the old spitballer .. fellas with one or two last bullets left in their guns per year.. and we're ready for another decade of great baseball

It's cookie cutter to how they built the stud team of the 90s...
 
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Dispatch

3/30/06

Indians bank on future with Sizemore contract

6-year, $23.45 million deal sets record, tone of faith

Thursday, March 30, 2006

Scott Priestle
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — Grady Sizemore has long had a million-dollar smile. He will soon have the paychecks to match.

In exchange, the Cleveland Indians have a clearer picture of their future. It has been the overriding theme of camp, and it has been encouraging. Thus, general manager Mark Shapiro had multiple reasons to flash a smile yesterday, as the Indians announced they had signed Sizemore to a six-year deal worth at least $23.45 million.

The Indians signed shortstop Jhonny Peralta to a five-year, $13 million contract earlier this month, after signing catcher Victor Martinez and designated hitter Travis Hafner to longterm deals last April.

Combined with the impressive showing by prospects such as Fausto Carmona, Andy Marte and Ryan Garko, this spring has been about as positive as the Indians could have expected. They are healthy physically and financially as they prepare for the new season, and their future looks even brighter.

"I will feel more comfortable talking about this when it’s over," Shapiro said, "but to this point it has been a productive and positive spring."

Sizemore’s contract is the longest ever given to a player with less than two years of service time, and the amount is the largest guarantee to a player not yet eligible for arbitration, topping the $23.25 million contract Nomar Garciaparra signed with Boston in 1998. It covers Sizemore’s arbitration years and his first year of free agency, with a team option worth at least $8.5 million that would cover his second year of free agency, as well as performance bonuses.

The contract includes a financial penalty if Sizemore is traded — a clause he requested because the Indians did not offer a no-trade clause.

"I love what they’re doing here, the commitment to winning and everything they’re about," Sizemore said.

Sizemore, Peralta, Martinez and Hafner will make a combined $4.5 million this season. They are due $8.45 million in 2007 and $14.45 million in 2008, with bonuses and escalators that could push the total slightly higher.

If the four continue to improve — and if low-cost players such as Carmona, Marte and Garko settle into everyday roles — the Indians should have plenty of room in the budget to fill out the roster in the coming years.

"It gives us a much better opportunity to build off this core," team president Paul Dolan said.

As recently as spring training 2004, Shapiro said he would hesitate to sign the team’s young players to long-term deals.

A number of clubs have tried to recreate John Hart’s success with the Indians in the early- to mid-1990s, but too many were left with bloated contracts for underperforming players, including the Indians, who were bogged down in the late 1990s by contracts given to Jaret Wright and Charles Nagy. Shapiro was prepared to go year-to-year.

Watching Martinez, Hafner, Peralta and Sizemore at work convinced him otherwise. The six-year deal Sizemore signed is the longest tendered by the Indians since Omar Vizquel signed a six-year deal in December 1995.

"Obviously we’re risk-averse and we somewhat crave flexibility here," Shapiro said, "but also everything we do here is dependent on betting on the right people and knowing what motivates them. Successful people in life are motivated by pride in the job they do, not by the outcomes of money or fame or glamour.

"Grady is a guy who typifies our team’s approach: He plays the same way every day, day in and day out, and sets the tone for the way this team plays and wins. We take great comfort in that."

[email protected]
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Dispatch

3/30/06

INDIANS | NOTEBOOK

Phillips no longer figures with club

Thursday, March 30, 2006

Scott Priestle
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — When the Cleveland Indians acquired Brandon Phillips, Grady Sizemore and Cliff Lee from the Montreal Expos in June 2002, Phillips was considered the jewel. So it did not escape his attention yesterday when Sizemore signed a $23.45 million contract with the Indians.
"That should have been me," Phillips said.
Hours after Sizemore’s news conference, in a move that was more ironic in its timing than surprising, the Indians all but ended Phillips’ tenure with the organization.
Manager Eric Wedge announced that Ramon Vazquez will open the season as the team’s utility infielder, Danny Graves earned the final spot in the bullpen and Kelly Shoppach will be the backup catcher.
None of the corresponding roster moves will be made official until after the exhibition game Saturday in Sarasota, Fla., but all parties were informed yesterday.
The Indians will try to trade Phillips over the next 72 hours, and if they cannot, he likely will be released. He packed his bags moments after a 6-5 win over Houston — in which he hit a home run — and headed home to Georgia.
"I had one bad year in 2003. In my eyes, I felt like I was penalized for that one year," Phillips said. "It hurts."
Wedge said Vazquez received the nod because of his experience coming off the bench.
Shoppach’s work behind the plate and his potential at the plate won out over Einar Diaz’s experience, and Graves’ experience and consistency earned him a job over Steve Karsay and Jason Davis.
Davis will be optioned to triple-A Buffalo, where he will pitch in relief. Karsay and Diaz, who were in camp on minorleague contracts, will be given a chance to find big-league jobs in camps; if they cannot, Diaz likely will go to Buffalo and Karsay will remain in extended spring training to continue rebuilding arm strength.
Graves, who was released by the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets last season, has had better velocity and more life on his sinker this spring. When Wedge and Co. informed him that he won the spot, Graves said, "I was speechless. I wanted to hug all of them in the room, but I know that’s inappropriate. I felt like I was 22 again."
Vazquez and Shoppach were less animated. Vazquez was relieved more than excited: The deeper into camp without a decision, the more he stressed. Shoppach, who was acquired from Boston in the Coco Crisp trade, said his focus this spring was simply getting to know a new organization.
"This is my first time breaking camp with a team, so obviously it’s very special to me," Shoppach said. "I’m excited. I was thinking it was going to go the other way when they called me in."
Barring injury, the only remaining decision is between Todd Hollandsworth and Jason Dubois to be the backup outfielder.
Insight in the fold

The Indians reached agreement with Insight Communications to carry the team’s new network, SportsTime Ohio, beginning Tuesday.
Indians games will be available on Channel 60, which is currently used for Shop NBC. That network’s programming will be interrupted for the pregame show and game.
[email protected]
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ABJ

3/30/06

Indians notebook

Opening Day roster nears its completion

Wedge fills reserve roles and final bullpen spot. Two cuts remain

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->WINTER HAVEN, FLA - The Indians' roster is set. Almost.
The final spot in the bullpen will belong to Danny Graves, who won the spot over Jason Davis, Steve Karsay and Andrew Brown.
As expected, Ramon Vazquez was the choice to be the backup middle infielder over Brandon Phillips, who is in jeopardy of being lost to the team.
The other job opening, backup catcher, will go to rookie Kelly Shoppach, who beat out veteran Einar Diaz.
``You guys know how much I like to talk,'' Graves told reporters Wednesday. ``When they told me, I was speechless. I felt like I was 22 again. I called my mom and my agent.
``When you get called into the principal's (manager's) office, usually you're in trouble. But the pressure definitely is off now that I know where I'm going.''
Graves had a solid spring, appearing in 12 games and giving up six earned runs and 17 hits in 13 2/3 innings.
The numbers were not the point for Wedge or General Manager Mark Shapiro. They were watching to see if Graves could rebound from his horrid 2005 season, when the velocity of his fastball dropped to 82 mph. This spring, he consistently threw between 87 and 89.
``It was a very tough decision,'' Wedge said. ``But I feel like Steve has a little ways to go, but he got better as camp went on. Jason will continue to pitch in the bullpen at Buffalo.''
Brown was sent to Triple-A a week ago, and it really came down to a decision between Karsay and Graves.
``I got a fair shake,'' Karsay said. ``I could have pitched better. Absolutely.''
Karsay is free to leave if he gets an offer to pitch on a big-league team. If he doesn't, he will remain in Winter Haven for extended spring training and await developments.
``Is there any interest?'' he said. ``Absolutely. But whether something is in the works right now, we don't know that.''
Coming up short
Phillips had an almost insurmountable task in trying to win the utility infielder's spot.
Vazquez has a track record of coming off the bench without complaint. He handles the defensive duties at shortstop and second base in a satisfactory manner, and though he is hardly a .300 hitter, he has the ability to drive balls into the gaps for doubles.
``Ultimately, we felt that Vazquez was the best fit for the club,'' Wedge said. ``This is one of the toughest jobs in the game, and Ramon has done it before.''
The Tribe cannot send Phillips to Buffalo for a fifth year unless he clears waivers, which is considered unlikely. Shapiro will try to trade him rather than get nothing for him.
Phillips was the key player in the deal with Montreal that brought Grady Sizemore and Cliff Lee to Cleveland for Bartolo Colon, but he has struggled to jump-start his career.
``Brandon's best days are definitely ahead of him,'' Wedge said. ``Everyone's career path is different, and there are always bumps in the road.
``If he ends up going someplace else, I wish him nothing but the best. I'll be cheering for him and rooting for him.''
Shoppach is the man
As expected, Wedge and Shapiro selected rookie Shoppach rather than Diaz to back up catcher Victor Martinez.
``Shoppach was pretty consistent behind the plate,'' Wedge said. ``And we know he has some pop in his bat.''
That didn't become evident in spring training, however, as Shoppach batted only .156.
The Indians would like Diaz to accept an assignment to Buffalo, but he is free to leave if a major-league team offers him a job.
``We have to give Einar a couple of days to consider his options,'' Wedge said.
Down to 27
The spring roster was trimmed to 27 with Wednesday's moves.
In jeopardy are Jason Dubois and Tim Laker. Todd Hollandsworth was anointed the fourth outfielder long ago, but Dubois has had such a super spring, he has a 1 or 2 percent chance to supplant Hollandsworth.
The schedule
Jason Johnson, who gave up five runs in 5 2/3 innings in a 6-5 win over Houston, isn't scheduled to make his first start until April 11 against Seattle.
So what does a No. 5 starter do in the meantime
``He's going with us, but he will go down to Kinston and pitch in an exhibition game against Buffalo,'' Wedge said.
Marching onward
The Indians remain at Chain O'Lakes Park to play Detroit this afternoon. Jake Westbrook will make his last spring start against Jeremy Bonderman.
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ABJ

3/31/06

Indians notebook

Lineup set for opening game against White Sox

With lefty pitcher, Perez gets first start at first base

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - If the Indians need a motto for this training camp, maybe it should be ``The spring of foregone conclusions.''
There were few roster spots to be determined, and that process has been completed days earlier than usual. Manager Eric Wedge even has his lineup set for the opener.
In previous years, he waited until almost the last possible minute to reveal his batting order of choice. When the Tribe faces the White Sox on Sunday night in Chicago, the lineup will be:
CF -- Grady Sizemore
LF -- Jason Michaels
SS -- Jhonny Peralta
DH -- Travis Hafner
C -- Victor Martinez
1B -- Eduardo Perez
2B -- Ronnie Belliard
3B -- Aaron Boone
RF -- Casey Blake
Perez gets the assignment for the first game because Mark Buehrle, a left-hander, will start for the Sox. When a right-hander is the starter, Ben Broussard will be the first baseman.
Wedge said that from time to time, he might ``flip-flop'' the sixth and seventh batters ``depending on who we're facing.''
End of the ordeal
When Danny Graves came to camp, he didn't have a job, and there were three other relievers contending for the same spot.
On Wednesday, he was declared the winner over Steve Karsay, Jason Davis and Andrew Brown. That's when he could look back and examine what went wrong with his 2005 season.
``I don't remember much from last year,'' he said, indicating how much he would like to forget the experience. ``Everything about it was miserable.
``I think a lot of it was mechanical, but a lot of it could have been fatigue, too. But when I came here, I got my mechanics fixed right away. The first day (bullpen coach) Luis Isaac took care of that in a bullpen session.''
Isaac knows Graves from his stint in the Cleveland organization from 1995-97.
Nothing official
Any moves announced by the Tribe will not become official until Saturday, when it is assured nobody has been hurt in exhibition games. With that in mind, Wedge confirmed that Todd Hollandsworth had won the fourth outfield spot over Jason Dubois, and that Tim Laker would go to Buffalo and be the Wahoos' No. 3 catcher.
As for Dubois, who is batting .408, Wedge said: ``It's a hard decision when a guy has that kind of spring. But we don't put it all on spring training performances.
``Jason faced quite a bit of good pitching; he's strong as a bull and really has a nice swing.''
Hollandsworth didn't really have to win the position. He was announced as the fourth outfielder before the opening of camp.
Play time
Travis Hafner hit his fifth home run of the spring, Jhonny Peralta whacked his third and Jason Michaels hit his second, as the Indians defeated Detroit 6-4.
Jake Westbrook, making his final start of the spring, gave up four runs, 11 hits and two walks in seven innings. He finished the exhibition season with a 3.46 ERA.
Marching onward
The Tribe closes its home schedule against Cincinnati this afternoon at Chain O' Lakes Park, with Cliff Lee starting against Brandon Claussen.
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ABJ

3/31/06

Shapiro expects to trade Phillips

Move won't be made until final exhibition of season is completed

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - It won't be long before the Indians wash their hands of the failed Brandon Phillips experiment.
General Manager Mark Shapiro is almost certain he can trade Phillips in the next few days, rather than lose him to a team that makes a waiver claim. Because Phillips is out of options, he would have to clear waivers before the Tribe could assign him to Buffalo again.
``We will be able to trade Brandon, definitively,'' Shapiro said Thursday. ``There is a good possibility that we could have a trade in place by the last out on Saturday.''
If the GM can't make a deal by then, he will designate Phillips for assignment and have 10 days to trade him.
Shapiro was careful to specify a time for this reason: Phillips will not be traded until the Indians complete the entire exhibition season with all players remaining healthy.
``If there's an injury (to Jhonny Peralta, Ronnie Belliard or Ramon Vazquez) in the next 27 innings, Brandon will be on the team,'' the GM said.
Shapiro also wanted to make it clear not to expect a windfall in talent for Phillips.
``We can get value for Brandon,'' Shapiro said. ``But the value would be what he is worth now (rather than his potential), and there are multiple teams interested.''
Teams that appear to be Phillips pursuers are Tampa Bay, Washington and maybe Kansas City, for starters. The club that acquires him must add him to its 25-man roster or put him on waivers.
It wasn't supposed to come to this. Phillips was Shapiro's primary target when he traded Bartolo Colon to Montreal -- in a deal that also brought Cliff Lee and Grady Sizemore -- in June 2002.
At that time, Phillips was considered a can't-miss prospect at shortstop (or second), someone who not only made acrobatic plays in the field, but also possessed a lethal bat. Scouts viewed him as a player who would hit line drives in the gaps, not towering fly balls over the fence.
Phillips apparently had other ideas. He kept his swing long and took overly hard hacks in case he hit the ball.
He fell in love with the idea of hitting for power. No matter how much time coaches and managers spent with him, he could not be persuaded to tighten his swing.
``This is a player we felt extremely strong about, and it didn't work out,'' Shapiro said. ``So you can't help but feel disappointed.''
The GM wasn't certain of the results of the post-mortem.
``You can talk about Brandon's (career) path,'' Shapiro said. ``Maybe we shouldn't have kept him in the big leagues as long as we did. Maybe the failure was ours, maybe it was shared.''
Shapiro's reference is to the 2003 season. Phillips won the everyday second-base job in spring training, and for more than three months he made all the plays in the field but stumbled badly at the plate. When he finally was optioned to Triple-A in mid-July, he was batting .210.
Phillips never again received an extended chance to play in the big leagues, and as Shapiro tellingly said Thursday, ``We didn't see anything different this spring than we'd seen before.''
It probably would be counterproductive to Phillips' career if Shapiro didn't make a deal for him and he cleared waivers. Phillips already has spent the better parts of four seasons at Triple-A. Another is unlikely to benefit him. Sometimes a change of scenery helps a player.
Phillips still has the potential to be successful.
``The guy is going to be a very good major-league player,'' Shapiro said. ``But the time frame didn't align with the way the team matured.''
Shapiro revealed that Einar Diaz and Steve Karsay have committed to going to Buffalo if they don't latch onto a job on a big-league roster in the next few days.
Diaz lost the backup catcher job to rookie Kelly Shoppach on Wednesday, and Danny Graves beat out Karsay, Jason Davis (and earlier, Andrew Brown) for the final bullpen berth.
``We have a long-standing relationship with both players,'' Shapiro said. ``We're not about to stand in the way if they can get big-league jobs.''
Considering the usual rate of attrition among relievers, it would be no surprise if Karsay were to earn a promotion to Cleveland within weeks.
Karsay might have claimed a spot on the roster during camp had he been a little sharper from the start. He has pitched fewer than 50 innings the past three years after undergoing shoulder surgery, however, and needs more work to regain his edge.
``I didn't think my spring was half-bad,'' Karsay said. ``It's not the best spring I ever had, but it's also not the worst. I wasn't that good early, but the last 10 days, I think I got a lot better, my last outing especially.''
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Canton

3/31/06

With roster set, Indians’ eyes turn to Sox

Friday, March 31, 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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Indians slugger Travis Hafner watches his two-run home run in the fourth inning of a spring training game against the Tigers on Thursday at Winter Haven, Fla. The Indians won, 6-4.​
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2 DAYS TO
OPENING DAY
INDIANS AT WHITE SOX
Sunday, 8 p.m.
U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago
TV ESPN2
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Bring on the White Sox.
“Let’s get it on,” General Manager Mark Shapiro said of Sunday night’s game in Chicago after announcing his final decision on the Indians’ Opening Day roster.
Both Shapiro and Manager Eric Wedge confirmed that the team will keep veteran Todd Hollandsworth as its fourth outfielder. Jason Dubois will be optioned to Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday despite his .408 spring training average.
Wedge also said catcher Tim Laker will accept an assignment to Buffalo. Shapiro said catcher Einar Diaz and right-handed relief pitcher Steve Karsay have agreed to report to minor-league camp and finish the spring with Buffalo unless another team offers them a major-league deal.
Shapiro said the Indians “definitively” will be able to work out a trade for infielder Brandon Phillips, who is out of minor-league options. That move would not take place until after Saturday’s final spring training game, in case of an injury.
Hollandsworth came to camp as a veteran with a reputation as a guy who would play a bench role without complaint and would be an effective left-handed pinch-hitter to compliment right-handed outfielders Jason Michaels and Casey Blake. Those selling points were enough to win Hollandsworth a job despite his .196 average this spring.
“You don’t expect any less of yourself, but you have to understand your role and what you are going to try to bring to your ballclub,” Hollandsworth said.
The Indians couldn’t have asked any more of Dubois, who moved to Winter Haven on Feb. 1 — two weeks before pitchers and catchers were to report — to begin preparing for spring training. Seven of his 20 hits this spring were for extra bases.
“It’s always a tough decision when a guy has a camp like that,” Wedge said. “We base it on track record, where the team’s at and what’s the best fit for the club. This camp was nothing but positive for Jason. He’s strong as a bull and has a very nice swing. He’s really figuring it out at this level.”
“The guy we traded for is the guy we saw this spring,” Shapiro said of Dubois, who was swapped to Cleveland by the Chicago Cubs last July for outfielder Jody Gerut.
It’s possible no one will ever figure out Phillips, one of the most heralded prospects in the game when he arrived in the 2002 trade for Bartolo Colon. Phillips was the Opening Day second baseman in 2003, but lost his job midway through the season and never resurfaced.
“Maybe the cause can be shared between the two of us,” Shapiro said. “You can talk about path. You can talk about guys who believe strongly in their talent, and how it can be difficult for them to make adjustments. You can also talk about whether we kept him in the big leagues too long in 2003. If we had a better answer, we would have figured it out quicker.”
Phillips hit .316 during spring training, but missed 10 days due to strep throat. He left camp Wednesday to go home to Georgia and await his new destination.
“We didn’t see anything different this spring than what we’ve already seen,” Shapiro said. “We’ll be able to get (trade) value for what he is right now, not for what we thought he would be.”
Shapiro said there were no “imminent” potential big-league deals in the works for Diaz or Karsay.
The last order of business, then, is to play spring-training games today and Saturday, fly to Chicago and “get it on.”
“You hold your breath every inning in case of an injury,” Shapiro said. “It has been a healthy spring so far, which is always the main detail. This has been a positive, productive camp. Things have gone the way we hoped they would go.” Reach Repository sports writer Andy Call at (330) 580-8346 or e-mail [email protected].
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Canton

3/31/06

Lee hopeful of deal by opener

Friday, March 31, 2006


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


WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - All of the contractual dominos haven’t quite fallen for the Indians.

Left-hander Cliff Lee said Thursday he is not optimistic that the team and Lee’s agent, Darek Braunecker, can reach terms on a long-term contract before Opening Day.

“Their idea of fair and our idea of fair are two different things,” Lee said. “It doesn’t look like it’s going to happen right now. But it’s not over yet. Things could change in the next few days.”

The Indians already have signed center fielder Grady Sizemore to a six-year, $23.45 million contract and shortstop Jhonny Peralta to a five-year, $13 million deal this spring. Last year, designated hitter Travis Hafner and catcher Victor Martinez were signed to long-term contracts.

Lee laughed when asked what he thought of Sizemore’s contract, the largest given to a player with fewer than two years of major-league service.

“That’s a good deal,” Lee said. “I’ll take that one, if they want to do that.”
Lee has some leverage. He has finished 14-8 with a 5.43 ERA and 18-5 with a 3.79 ERA during his first two seasons in the big leagues. The last Indians left-hander to win 18 games in a season was Greg Swindell in 1988.

The 27-year-old from Arkansas would be eligible for arbitration at the end of this season. He would not be eligible for free agency for three more years after that.

Lee said he does not want negotiations to continue into the season. He is scheduled to start Wednesday for the Indians against the White Sox.

“When the season starts, I want to focus on playing,” Lee said.

“If we have momentum in getting a deal done, we’ll continue to negotiate,” General Manager Mark Shapiro said. “We’ll figure out in the next 48 hours if there is potential to make a deal.”

Long-term contracts for players with limited experience are somewhat uncommon, a fact Lee hasn’t lost sight of.

“Just to be talking about this stuff is an honor for me,” Lee said. “Before three years, most people don’t even have that option. I don’t want anything extravagant. I just want to be treated fairly.”

INDIANS 6, TIGERS 4

Three Cleveland players hit home runs, and right-hander Jake Westbrook survived an 11-hit barrage over seven innings as the Indians won at Chain of Lakes Park.

Travis Hafner hit a two-run homer, Jhonny Peralta and Jason Michaels hit solo shots. Cleveland (20-10-1) needs one win in its two remaining games to tie the franchise record for spring training victories set in 1996.

Indians Manager Eric Wedge said he wasn’t concerned about Westbrook, who worked out of a couple of jams by inducing double-play ground balls.

“A few ground balls found the holes, which is going to happen with a sinkerball pitcher from time to time,” Wedge said.

Michaels and Peralta homered and doubled. Hafner, Victor Martinez, Ben Broussard and Casey Blake had two hits apiece. Martinez was hit in the back by a sixth-inning pitch from Fernando Rodney, one inning after Westbrook had hit Detroit’s Dmitri Young with a pitch.


TODAY The Indians will host Cincinnati today at 1:05 p.m. Cliff Lee is scheduled to start against Brandon Claussen.

BRING ON THE TWINS The Indians and Minnesota have announced the pitching rotation for the first series of the season at Jacobs Field. Paul Byrd will start the April 7 home opener against Kyle Lohse. C.C. Sabathia will start April 8 against Scott Baker. The series concludes April 9 with Jason Johnson starting against Johan Santana.

WHITE SOX WATCH Chicago designated hitter Jim Thome had three two-homer games in a span of four days for the White Sox through Wednesday. Leadoff hitter Scott Podsednik has a strained left groin and may not be able to start against the Indians. It appears 21-year-old left-hander Boone Logan, who pitched in Class A last year, will make the club.


Reach Repository sports writer Andy Call
at (330) 580-8346 or e-mail [email protected]


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ABJ

4/1/06

Home runs just ho-hum

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter


WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - How high can he go?
Ask Travis Hafner if he's a home-run hitter, and he will shake his head no. Of course, that's what they all say.
A player's usual response is, ``I just try to hit the ball hard. If I try to hit a home run, I can't.''
For the most part, that's probably true for Hafner, as well. Nevertheless, the Indians' designated hitter has increased his home run total in each of his big-league seasons.
Not only has he hit more homers every year, he has hit them more frequently.
In his rookie season of 2003, Hafner received 291 at-bats and walloped 14 home runs, one every 20.8 at-bats.
In 2004, he homered once every 17.2 at-bats for a total of 28, and last year he went deep once every 14.7 at-bats to reach 33 in 486 at-bats. At that rate, he would have hit 37 homers in a 550-at-bat season, which would be just dandy with the Tribe.
There were two reasons why Hafner didn't reach that level of at-bats: He accepted 79 walks, and he was hurt part of the year. He has had an issue with his right elbow for several years, dating to before Texas traded him to Cleveland in 2002.
Despite undergoing two relatively minor operations, the elbow needs special care. In 2005, his inability to throw cost him playing time in National League parks, where he would have supplanted Ben Broussard at first base. This spring, Hafner has been playing first with surprising aplomb and apparently pain-free.
``I throw every other day,'' he said. ``So far, it feels really good. When I throw every other day, the elbow gets a chance to recover. I'm pretty optimistic that I'll be able to do what I want.''
Manager Eric Wedge wants to use Hafner at first in an undetermined number of games but especially in the nine interleague games at National League parks.
The nature of Hafner's elbow condition is such that he might have to endure some level of extra maintenance for his entire career. Then again, nobody seems to be sure.
``I'll let you know in 10 years,'' he said. ``I had it scoped two offseasons ago. Hopefully, the rest and rehab I got over the winter really helped.''
As for his home run prowess, Hafner would rather be viewed as someone who drives in loads of runs.
``The last couple of seasons, I think I established myself as a pretty good all-around hitter,'' he said. ``But there's always room for improvement. Last year, I improved against left-handed pitchers.''
Hafner has batted better than .300 the last two seasons -- .311 in 2004 and .305 last year. He has noticeably better discipline than most power hitters, evident not only by his batting average but also by his .408 on-base percentage, which ranked third in the American League in 2005.
``Once you establish yourself, you have a target on your back,'' Hafner said. ``Nobody wants to stay the same. You want to get better. I've always believed that if you don't get better, you get worse.''
So would Hafner rather lead the league in batting average, RBI or home runs?
``Probably RBI,'' he said. ``Those are for-sure runs. You can hit 40 home runs, but you might only have 80-90 RBI. And I think to be a good RBI guy, you have to be a pretty complete hitter. You want to rise to the occasion with runners on base.''
The past two years, Hafner has amassed 109 and 108 RBI, respectively. He ranked ninth in the league in homers and tied for eighth with Vladimir Guerrero in RBI last season.
That puts Hafner in very good company, but he is part of a more exclusive group: players who spent the offseason in Cleveland.
``I bought a house in Cleveland,'' he said. ``It's the first one I've ever owned. I like living in my own house. It's fine to go visit my family, but I didn't want to move back in with my mom and dad.''
Having been raised in North Dakota, Northeastern Ohio winters are no big deal to Hafner. Moreover, in addition to missing six weeks of cold weather in spring training, he vacationed in Fort Lauderdale and Hawaii before checking into training camp.
``I went to a couple of Browns games and some Cavs games,'' Hafner said of his winter activities. ``I also saw WWE Raw (at Quicken Loans Arena). I had a backstage pass, so I got to meet a lot of the wrestlers.
``Triple-H and Ric Flair are my favorites. Flair is probably the dirtiest wrestler in the game.''
Hafner can work pro wrestling into most conversations.
``It gives you motivation,'' he said, starting to smile. ``The better season you have, the better seats you get to WWE shows.''
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ABJ

4/1/06

Indians notebook

New spring home proposed

Florida Atlantic University interested in luring team for spring training. Tribe mildly interested

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter



WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - Another city has expressed interest in building a spring training ballpark and complex for the Indians.
An article in Friday's Palm Beach Post revealed that Florida Atlantic University approached several teams last fall, asking whether they would be willing to move to the school's campus in Boca Raton.
The Tribe apparently gave the school the most encouragement, and Athletic Director Craig Angelos is deciding whether to proceed.
``We've wanted to bolster our baseball facilities,'' Angelos was quoted as saying. ``So we want to see if we could maybe enter into a partnership with them (the Indians).''
The school would attempt to secure $15 million in state funds toward a total outlay of just over $30 million for the project, which would include a ballpark, office space, weight room, major- and minor-league clubhouses and several practice fields.
``This is another city that we've had very, very, very preliminary discussions with,'' Tribe spokesman Bob DiBiasio said when reached Friday. ``The president of the university had the athletic director contact us. We sent them a general plan of what we would need and what a complex would look like.''
There have been no serious talks between the parties and there won't be unless Florida Atlantic decides to move forward.
Cape Coral on the west coast of Florida and Apopka, a northwest suburb of Orlando, have expressed a similar desire to become the Tribe's spring training home.
Final home defeat
The Tribe dropped its final home game of the spring, 10-4 to Cincinnati, at Chain O' Lakes Park.
Cliff Lee made his final spring training start and gave up six runs and 10 hits in six innings. Bob Wickman yielded three runs on four hits, in two-thirds of an inning.
Eduardo Perez led the attack with a double and two singles. Aaron Boone had two singles.
That team feeling
Danny Graves will start the season as a middle reliever, and that's fine with him, even though he was a successful closer for Cincinnati.
``I don't think anybody cares where they pitch in this bullpen,'' Graves said. ``There's no ego on this team. With other teams, it's different. So as long as I'm not starting, I don't care where I'm used.''
Weather update
The forecast for Sunday in Chicago is cloudy with a high of 58 degrees and a temperature of 56 at first pitch at 8:05 p.m. (ESPN2).
Marching onward
The Indians travel to Cincinnati this afternoon to play the Reds in the final exhibition game of the spring. Paul Byrd will start against Eric Milton. Byrd's next start will be in the home opener Friday.
Graves is the only rostered reliever who will throw today.
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CPD

4/1/06

<H1 class=red>Dish joins Tribe's TV lineup

</H1>

Saturday, April 01, 2006

Paul Hoynes

Plain Dealer Reporter

Winter Haven, Fla.- SportsTime Ohio has reached an agreement with satellite carrier Dish Network to bring 130 regular-season Indians games to its customers this season.

The first scheduled broadcast will be Tuesday against Chicago at U.S. Cellular Field.

STO, the Indians new regional TV network, can now reach between 2.3 million and 2.5 million viewers.

"The goal is to reach 2.8 million by our first broadcast," said Bob DiBiasio, Indians vice president of public relations.

Friday afternoon, Jim Liberatore, STO president, thought negotiations with Dish Network had fallen through.

"We hit a big snag," he said.

Obviously, someone untangled the snag.

"SportsTime Ohio is a powerful addition to our robust sports lineup and gives Indians fans complete coverage of their team," said Eric Sahl, senior vice president of programming for Dish Network, in a prepared statement.

Liberatore said he's making progress with DirecTV, the other major satellite carrier. He was optimistic that a deal could get done before Tuesday.

STO also added two "over-the-air" stations to its network - WHHO in Columbus and WICU/WSEE in Erie, Pa. They will carry 20 Tribe games this season.

Liberatore said if Sunday's season opener is postponed by inclement weather, STO will carry the makeup game Monday.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

[email protected], 216-999-5158
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