Indians Tidbits (2006 season)..

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

4/2/06

Play ball

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

SARASOTA, FLA. - The objective: catching the Chicago White Sox.
Over the winter, the Indians tried to fill holes created by the departures of free-agent starters Kevin Millwood and Scott Elarton plus outfielder Coco Crisp, who was traded to the Boston Red Sox.
Spring training has been about seeing what General Manager Mark Shapiro hath wrought and polishing the skills of young but experienced players, players who have been through two division races, players fresh-faced enough to have more upside.
Shapiro is the man who put the team together and made the moves. What does he think of his club, as it begins a long season tonight in Chicago?
``I feel good about our first 25 guys and the next 10,'' he said, referencing the depth of talent stashed at Triple-A Buffalo. ``I also feel stronger about our guys now than I did last year at this time.
``Then, there were still questions about Kevin Millwood, Grady Sizemore, Jhonny Peralta, Scott Sauerbeck and others. That said, to say we're better now than we were at the end of last season -- I mean 93 wins is a lot of wins.''
It would be a stretch to rate the current Indians roster as superior to the group that finished second to the White Sox in 2005. Moreover, the White Sox strengthened themselves by trading for designated hitter Jim Thome and signing free-agent starter Javier Vazquez.
They also re-signed free-agent first baseman Paul Konerko.
Then again, nobody knows anything for sure until several dozen games are in the books.
``We'll have to play the games to see how good we are,'' Shapiro said. ``But this is going to be a good team.''
It is not a perfect team, and Shapiro will be watching for signs of weakness.
``I think there are areas of concern,'' he said. ``Those haven't changed from what they were in the offseason. On almost every team, the bullpen is an unknown until you start playing.
``The only exceptions are clubs that have veterans with long track records, teams with really expensive bullpens. In the market we're in, you never feel very comfortable until you see the relievers perform.''
Because Shapiro was unsuccessful in his efforts to sign Trevor Hoffman during the winter, Bob Wickman returns as closer, having saved 45 games in 2005.
Reliever Bobby Howry left on the wings of free agency, but Shapiro traded for Guillermo Mota, who has had elbow problems in the past and is considered somewhat of a risk as the new setup man.
The shining new light of the pen is Fernando Cabrera, who might be the Tribe's next closer, though manager Eric Wedge doesn't want to put too much pressure on him too quickly. However, if something happens to Mota, Cabrera might be the assistant setup man to Rafael Betancourt.
Shapiro is less concerned this year about his ability to rescue any reliever who stumbles or gets hurt.
``I definitely feel good about our depth, with Jason Davis, Andrew Brown and maybe Steve Karsay,'' he said.
For a long time, Shapiro has talked about acquiring another hitter. In the offseason, he attempted to sign Nomar Garciaparra and make a trade for Austin Kearns.
``I feel like we could use a run-producer,'' Shapiro said. ``But how often are those kinds of hitters available in April? And I do think our offense is solid.''
Paul Byrd and Jason Johnson will replace Millwood and Elarton in the rotation. When Byrd has been healthy, he has been a winner. By contrast, Johnson has had only one winning season (8-7 for the Baltimore Orioles in 1999).
But Shapiro doesn't seem worried about his rotation, because he has at least two live arms in Buffalo: Fausto Carmona and Jeremy Sowers. He and Wedge were virtually blown away by the showing of Carmona in exhibition games.
``Having a quality No. 6 starter puts us in a better position,'' Shapiro said, recalling that Davis was first in line last year to replace a starter.
In addition to displaying dominating stuff, Carmona almost always was in command of the strike zone, and he showed surprising poise for a young pitcher.
``When we put Fausto on a bigger stage,'' Shapiro said, ``he exceeded our expectations.''
Among the young position players, Ryan Garko and Andy Marte, obtained for Crisp, made strong impressions during training camp. Both probably are ready to make an impact at the big-league level.
``I was surprised at how far along Ryan Garko was at first base,'' Shapiro said. ``From a talent standpoint, we saw what we expected from Marte.
``But what we also saw was a presence and an air of confidence. And he fit in well with his teammates in the clubhouse.''
Garko could fill in at first; Marte could play third. At some point, Franklin Gutierrez or Jason Dubois might be ready to step in if an outfielder got hurt. The position that is most vulnerable is shortstop.
``One area I'm not totally comfortable with is backup shortstop,'' Shapiro said. ``Obviously there would be a big drop-off if the second-most productive shortstop in the league (Jhonny Peralta) got hurt. Even if an average shortstop filled in, there would be a big gap.''
Ramon Vazquez is the team's only utility middle infielder. There are no phenoms at Buffalo.
The Central Division is much stronger than it was in the days when Manny Ramirez, Albert Belle and Thome were running roughshod through the competition.
``There aren't going to be many easy nights,'' Shapiro said. ``People are going to be beating up on each other. I would be surprised if any team won as many as Chicago did last year (99).''
Does Shapiro object to playing the White Sox right out of the gate?
``I like opening with Chicago,'' he said. ``Let's get it on. We think we're very good, and they're the best; they're the only team that can call themselves world champions. So let's measure ourselves against that standard from the first pitch.''
Expectations by the fans and the media are higher this year than in any season since 2001, the last time the Indians made the playoffs. That's fine with Shapiro.
``They've gone higher every year,'' he said. ``I think our players are ready this year. They believe in themselves. That's genuine. They know they're good players.''
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

4/2/06

THREE TO GET READY

Filling trio of holes will be essential to 2006 success

How does a team replace a .300 hitter, an earned-run average leader and a reliever who leads the league with 45 saves?
That was the mission for the Indians this winter, and how they answer those questions will determine if they can challenge the World Champion Chicago White Sox in the Central Division.
As the 2006 season begins, consider the following:
Replacing Millwood
The first to leave was Kevin Millwood, who had an American League-best 2.86 ERA. His record was a disappointing 9-11, but that can't be blamed on Millwood. He had the third-lowest run support in the American League.
Just as important, Millwood was the veteran leader of the pitching staff -- a role model for C.C. Sabathia, Jake Westbrook and Cliff Lee.
General Manager Mark Shapiro knew he had no chance of keeping Millwood, who is represented by super-agent Scott Boras. Millwood eventually signed a five-year, $60 million deal with the Texas Rangers.
That left the Indians shopping for an established starter, and they turned to Paul Byrd. He was 12-11 with a 3.74 ERA for the Los Angeles Angels in 2005.
The question for 2006 is: Can Byrd stay healthy and stabilize the staff as Millwood did a year ago?
The Indians are betting a two-year, $14 million contract that he can.
Keeping Wickman
The next question was Bob Wickman.
Yes, he saved an American League-best 45 games. But Wickman is 37, and had major elbow surgery that kept him out in 2003 and part of 2004. The Indians tried to sign two other free-agent closers: B.J. Ryan and Trevor Hoffman.
They went elsewhere.
Then the Indians returned to Wickman. The Indians had the league's best bullpen a year ago, and Wickman made the All-Star team. A good bullpen begins with a reliable closer.
Believing Wickman is healthy, the Indians are counting on another strong summer from him.
New left fielder
The Indians decided to trade .300-hitting outfielder Coco Crisp, along with Josh Bard and David Riske, to the Boston Red Sox for top prospects Andy Marte, Kelly Shoppach and veteran reliever Guillermo Mota.
That deal meant they needed someone new to play left field.
That person will be Jason Michaels, who came in a trade for Arthur Rhodes. He was a productive part-time outfielder with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Michaels hit .304 with a .399 on-base percentage in 289 at-bats. Can he put up those type of numbers as a regular?
The Indians are counting on it.
And finally
The Indians also lost their No. 5 starter from last year, Scott Elarton, to the Kansas City Royals via free agency. So they signed veteran Jason Johnson, formerly with the Detroit Tigers.
This was not as significant as finding someone to take Millwood's innings, because the Indians have several promising young starters to fill in the fifth spot -- Jason Davis, Jeremy Sowers and Fausto Carmona among them.
So the Indians should be able to find a suitable fifth starter.
The bottom line is they subtracted Millwood and Crisp and added Michaels and Byrd. They returned to Wickman. A year ago, the Indians had a 93-69 record and missed the playoffs by a single game. If they are going to be a playoff contender in 2006, these are the moves that will make or break the season.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

4/2/06

SAVING BEST FOR LAST

Wily Wickman holds key to success of Indians' bullpen

A good bullpen begins at the end.
``That's why we had to get someone like Bob Wickman,'' Indians manager Eric Wedge said. ``I know what it's like when we didn't have Bob. I don't want to go through that again.''
What does Wickman mean to the Indians?
He missed the first half of the 2004 season, and the Tribe had the worst bullpen in the American League. When he came back after the All-Star Game and saved 13-of-14 games, the Indians' bullpen ranked fourth.
Yes, one guy does mean that much.
``That's because the last three outs of the game are the hardest,'' Wedge said. ``You manage a game to get to your closer. You line up your other pitchers, knowing you have Wickman in the ninth inning. By the time I bring in my closer, I'm pretty much done managing. That's my last pitching move. The game is in his hands, and he has to get those last three outs.''
With Wickman, it's seldom easy, rarely pretty.
But he saved 45-of-50 games in 2005 and made the All-Star team.
Since coming to the Indians in the middle of the 2000 season, he's converted 124-of-138 saves, a 90 percent rate.
``My goal is 90 percent,'' Wickman said. ``If your closer does that, you probably will have a good bullpen.''
Most teams are grateful to have a closer with a success rate of about 80 percent.
When the 2005 season ended, the Indians seemed reluctant to commit to Wickman. They made a quick offer to Baltimore Orioles closer B.J. Ryan, which was turned down. They romanced San Diego Padres closer Trevor Hoffman, and were rejected again, despite offering more money than Hoffman eventually received to stay with the Padres.
Rather than strike out with someone else, they turned back to Wickman.
``I don't want to talk about that,'' Wickman said. ``I understand they wanted a closer for more than a year, and I only wanted to sign for one year. But that's all I'll say about it.''
Wickman is hurt, because he believes he proved himself and the Indians didn't seem eager to bring him back. Now, they need him desperately. No one else on the staff has a history of consistently being successful as a closer in the majors.
``I guess I just have to do it again,'' he said. ``People have been writing me off since I got hurt (in 2002). Then I came back from the Tommy John (elbow surgery), and I got hurt again. Well, I'm still here and have signed two contracts since.''
He also saved 58 more games in the past 1 ½ seasons.
Doing it his way
The reason the Indians contended for a playoff spot is how Wickman controlled the ninth inning. He didn't dominate it. He didn't make it quick and painless. But in his own way, he handled it.
To Wickman, there is no such thing as a ``pretty save.''
You either save the game, or you don't. It really doesn't matter how you do it, just do it.
He allowed nine homers and 79 base runners in 62 innings. He struck out only 41. He often was surrounded by more runners than a track coach. He sometimes pitched himself into trouble, then pitched himself right back out.
In the past three years, stealing base runners are 27-of-27 off Wickman, who sometimes just ignores them.
Yet, he survives. Here's how:
• Opposing batters had a .149 average against him with runners on base, the lowest vs. any American League reliever.
• With runners in scoring position, that average dipped to .094.
• With two outs and runners in scoring position, it's .077.
``That's because I think I have an advantage when there are runners on base,'' he said. ``Usually, I pitched around one guy to get to another. When no one is on base, hitters often swing free and easy. With guys on base, they feel the pressure.''
Doesn't Wickman?
``Not as much as they do,'' he said. ``I usually can get them to chase my pitch. They swing at a ball in the dirt that they'd take with no one on base. They want those RBI, and they get overanxious.''
Atypical role model
Take a peek into the psyche of Wickman.
He's 37 years old. He's listed at 6-foot-1, 240 pounds. Let's kindly call him barrel-chested. He's bald. He sweats a lot on the mound.
He has a fastball above average, but not great -- in the 92-mph range. He has a good slider, a good sinker, nothing spectacular.
He's not the typical closer, because he doesn't have an overpowering fastball, a funky delivery or a trick pitch. He's unique in the role, because he seems like an ordinary pitcher.
Except for his mental toughness.
``You want a closer who can handle the blown save,'' General Manager Mark Shapiro said. ``That's the hardest thing for most guys to do. Wickman has proved he can deal with it.''
Consider Opening Day of 2005, when he allowed four runs on 14 pitches.
``I got smoked,'' he said. ``I didn't allow a run all spring, and bam, they crushed me. Then I had to wait three more days to pitch again. Guys say they don't think about a game like that. Believe me, you think about it.''
After that first game, Wickman had a 1.90 ERA for the rest of the season.
Wickman often grimaces as he rubs up the ball. He seems a little nervous, kind of like a guy standing outside the doctor's office, waiting for the results from some serious tests.
``It's a hard job,'' he said. ``I remember when I was a young pitcher with the New York Yankees, and they said I could never close. Teams give up on guys too soon when they get this job.''
All alone
Why is the ninth inning so demanding?
``Because the game is on you,'' Wickman said. ``Pitching in the other innings is important. If they don't do their jobs, then I don't get to go for the save in the ninth. I've been a setup guy. But the pressure is greater when you close.''
A pitcher in the other innings knows a manager can pull him out of a tight spot. There is help in the bullpen. When the closer takes the mound, the bullpen is usually quiet.
When a closer consistently fails, the entire team (and its fans) wonders if they'll squander a lead when he enters the game. A good closer might bring fans to the edges of their seats and the players to their toes, but there is an aura of confidence that somehow he'll get that last out.
``I came to the Brewers when they had (former Indian) Doug Jones closing and I learned a lot from him,'' Wickman said. ``Having a guy like that to pitch in the ninth inning gives the entire bullpen confidence. Everyone knows their roles.''
Jones proved he could save games with a change-up as his main pitch and a fastball that would barely qualify for a speeding ticket on most interstates. Tribe fans remember Jones, who has the team record with 129 saves while pitching here from 1986-91.
With 124 saves, Wickman seems destined to break the record if he stays healthy.
Wickman knows that any pitch could be his last. His arm feels strong, but that right elbow already has undergone a major operation. At age 37, nothing is promised.
``That's why I take it one game, one season at a time,'' he said. ``I still like to close. I like getting those last three outs. I like playing for this team. I still believe I can do the job.''
If the Indians are to contend in the Central Division, they need Wickman to do just that. For at least one more year, the most important inning of any Indians game will be in his hands.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

4/2/06

Less will mean more for Tribe

Sunday, April 2, 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]


Newton’s Third Law states that, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
That man sure knew his baseball.
When one considers the eventual fate of the 2006 Indians, there seems to be a positive for every negative, a problem for every solution, a pit in every peach, an equal and opposite reaction for every action. Those who believe the Indians will qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2001 seem to have as much practical and statistical ammunition as those who believe otherwise.
Yes, the Indians lost American League ERA leader Kevin Millwood. But, Paul Byrd has been a dependable starter for quite some time.
Yes, the young players are a year older. But, asking Jhonny Peralta and Grady Sizemore to approach the productivity of their first full big-league seasons might be too much to ask against pitching staffs armed with a year of scouting reports.
Yes, Coco Crisp has been traded. But, Jason Michaels might just shine when given his first everyday job in the big leagues.
Yes, the pitching looks solid. But, there’s no way Indians starters will be healthy 158 times in 162 games again, and the bullpen can’t possibly lead the league in relief ERA again.
Yes, Ben Broussard, Casey Blake and Aaron Boone are still on the team. But, it seems impossible that all three could be as bad as last year.
Yes, the Indians have survived the experience of the six-week collapse in 2004 and the six-day collapse in 2005. But, it’s not likely that those players will be able to simply forget those collapses when crunch time arrives this fall.
Yes, Bob Wickman is a year older. But, there’s no reason to believe a 37-year-old Wickman can drop off that far from the 36-year-old Wickman who was 45-for-50 in save situations.
Yes, the Indians have plenty of money to spend before the trade deadline in July. But, given the lack of trade activity in baseball last year and the organization’s reluctance to spend foolishly, a big-impact July trade might not even be a practical thought to harbor.
Yes, the Indians have been reluctant to bench or release struggling veterans in the past. But, with emerging talents like Ryan Garko, Andy Marte, Franklin Gutierrez and Fausto Carmona available in Triple-A, surely this will be the Year of the Short Leash.
Yes, the Indians are in the Central Division. But, the division is better. Not only are the White Sox defending World Series champions, but Minnesota remains a force and Detroit should improve. One national publication projected that four of the five Central Division teams will finish the season with winning records.
Yes, we promised you a prediction. But, we have to make you work to get to the bottom of this column so you appreciate it more.
Wild-eyed optimism doesn’t usually make its way to this corner of the newspaper. Dreary-eyed pessimism is best left for the angry people who inhabit the Internet.
Yes, the Indians will win fewer games — 90, to be exact. But, they will still qualify for the American League playoffs as the wild card. Don’t believe it? Take it up with Sir Isaac Newton. Reach Repository sports writer Andy Call at (330) 580-8346 or e-mail [email protected]


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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

4/2/06

A vision of 20-20?

No big-league team has gone longer without a 20-game winner than the Tribe.With a talented rotation in place, is this the year that long drought ends?
Sunday, April 02, 2006

Paul Hoynes
Plain Dealer Reporter

Imagine, if you will, a pitcher being allowed to make 37 starts, throw 322 1/3 innings and complete 28 games in one season in this era of pitch counts and seven-man bullpens.
What would happen to the people responsible?
"We'd all be fired," said Indians pitching coach Carl Willis, only half in jest.
Those were Gaylord Perry's stats in 1974, when he went 21-13. No Indians pitcher has won 20 games since. The 31-year drought is the longest in the big leagues.
The 20-game winner has not disappeared. The Yankees, Braves, Orioles and Athletics have each produced 10 20-game winners since 1974. Four pitchers, including former Indian Bartolo Colon, won 20 or more last season.
In Cleveland, there have only been close calls. Lenny Barker won 19 in 1980. Bert Blyleven won 19 in 1984. Greg Swindell won 18 in 1989, as did Cliff Lee last season.
An 18 or 19-win season is nice, but in Perry's words, "Eighteen ain't 20. In 1973, I won 19 games, and that ain't 20 either. That only gets you a cup of coffee."
When Larry Dolan bought the Indians, after an initial $10 million splurge on outfielder Juan Gonzalez in 2001, he and new GM Mark Shapiro decided to emphasize pitching in rebuilding the team. It has produced a farm system full of prospects, but no dominant big-league starter.
"We've had guys close to 20 wins and eventually we'll have a 20-game winner," said Shapiro. "I'd much rather have five guys make 20 starts like we did last year than one guy win 20."
Lack of a 20-game winner can't be placed at Shapiro's doorstep. This started long before he arrived, but even Shapiro's GM-induced pragmatism can't totally withstand the allure of the 20-game winner
"In fact, I'd rather have four 20-game winners like the Orioles did in 1971," he said.
Then Shapiro named them -- Dave McNally, Mike Cuellar, Pat Dobson and Jim Palmer. He grew up an Orioles fan in Baltimore.
Twenty wins for a pitcher is hitting .300 and driving in 100 runs for a hitter. "It's a stat that a pitcher has to have," said Perry, a Hall of Famer. "He has to have a no-hitter, win 20 games in a season and have an ERA under 2.00."
Perry accomplished at least part of that with help of the spitball, an illegal pitch. It does not mean the Indians' next 20-game winner must walk on the wild side. There have been plenty of 20-game winners in team history who did not practice the dark arts.
So how do you explain the last 32 years? Hey, winning 20 games in a season is hard.
In 1980, Barker won his 19th game on Sept. 27 against Baltimore. Manager Dave Garcia, with a week left in the season, gave Barker two more chances to win 20. Pitching on three days rest, Barker lost, 18-7, to the Yankees and 7-1 to Baltimore.
"I was pretty much done by the end of the year," said Barker, who pitched a career-high 246 1/3 innings. "If I could do it over again, I would have taken a couple more days off. I always pitched better when my arm was rested."
In 1984 Blyleven was "screwing around" with teammate Broderick Perkins in the outfield. The result of the horseplay was Blyleven stepping on a baseball and breaking a bone in his foot.
"I missed three or four starts because of it," said Blyleven, who won his 19th game on the last day of the regular season.
"It's the luck factor," said Indians bullpen coach Luis Isaac. "I've been waiting a long time to see a 20-game winner in Cleveland. It's all about luck."
Timing, too.
Colon won 20 games in 2002. He went 10-4 with the Indians before they traded him to Montreal. Then he went 10-4 for the Expos.
Rick Sutcliffe started the 1984 season by going 4-5 with the Indians. They traded him to the Cubs and he went 16-1 to win the Cy Young award.
The Indians traded Dennis Eckersley to Boston in 1977. The next year he won 20 games for the only time in his Hall of Fame career.
So much goes into a 20-win season. The pitcher must make the right pitch and keep his pitch count within the required limits of the team and manager. Old school starters scoff at pitch counts.
"It's just a custom," said Feller, "and a dumb one."
But no starter in the big leagues takes the mound without a preconceived limit on his appearance. C.C. Sabathia topped Indians starters last year with 119 pitches against Chicago on July 19.
"The premium for keeping pitchers healthy has never been higher," said manager Eric Wedge.
During the 1974 season, Perry pitched in a four-man rotation. It allowed him to make more starts and pitch more innings. Going to the bullpen, to many managers 32 years ago, was a sign of surrender.
"We were trained to go nine," said Perry. "If we didn't, we felt we let the team down."
The Indians' philosophy toward starting pitchers is different. They ask the starter to give them a chance to win, it doesn't matter if it's for five, six or seven innings.
"Don't misconstrue that," said Wedge. "It doesn't mean we pull every guy early. We want our starters to go nine innings. But we have to take into account workload. We don't want to put anyone in harm's way. We will push guys from time to time."
Said Sabathia, "Wedgie is cool that way. If he sees it's your game, he'll leave you in there."
Blyleven feels managers are pressured into formulized managing, which in turn limits the chances of a starter to win games.
"Managers are second-guessed so much more nowadays," said Blyleven. "If the starter is out there in the eighth inning with 105 pitches, the manager knows he's going to get second-guessed. What do most managers do? He goes with the flow and calls the bullpen."
There is a lot more than pitch counts to a 20-win season. A starter needs good defense, run support and a dependable bullpen. Even then it might not work.
The Indians scored 6.2 runs per game for Lee last year. It was the third-best run support in the American League.
"And I still won 18 games," said Lee. "You have to have everything to win 20 . . . and sometimes it still doesn't make sense."
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:[email protected], 216-999-51

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

4/2/06

INDIANS BY POSITION

Sunday, April 02, 2006

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Catcher
Victor Martinez has established himself as a leader, on the field and off. Despite a slow start last season, he hit .305 with 20 home runs and 80 RBI, including 78 as a catcher, the most in the major leagues. Indians officials have talked about occasionally using Martinez at first base or designated hitter to lessen the wear on his body. How much he plays elsewhere likely depends on the progress of rookie backup Kelly Shoppach.
First base
Ben Broussard will start against right-handed pitchers and Eduardo Perez against lefties. Broussard has been inconsistent and generally underwhelming in three seasons as a starter, so the Indians will have a short leash. Ryan Garko is waiting in triple-A.
Second base
The Indians signed Ronnie Belliard before the 2004 season to buy time for Brandon Phillips. Belliard has since established himself as one of the club’s most consistent and dependable players, an above-average fielder with some pop at the plate and boundless energy.
Shortstop
In his first full season in the big leagues, Jhonny Peralta set a franchise record for home runs by a shortstop with 24. He settled in as the No. 3 hitter and finished 10 th in the American League with a .521 slugging percentage while playing solid defense.
Third base
Aaron Boone is coming off a lost season (2004, which he missed because of a knee injury) and a season in which he often looked lost (2005, when he hit .151 through June 3 and .243 overall). He has been stronger this spring, but like Broussard and Casey Blake, he cannot afford another poor start. Andy Marte, the centerpiece of the Coco Crisp trade, will open the season in triple-A but could hit his way to Cleveland soon enough.
Left field
After three seasons as a backup outfielder in Philadelphia, Jason Michaels opens the season as the Tribe’s everyday left fielder. He has a career .380 on-base percentage and a .310 average against left-handers. That willingness to work the count and his success against lefties should complement a lineup that struggled in both regards in recent seasons.
Center field
Grady Sizemore has quickly become one of the team’s most popular players, particularly among female fans. At age 23, with a rare combination of speed, power and athleticism, he is the best bet to take the leap from local star to national star.
Right field
Blake made a smooth transition from third base to right field last season, showing above-average range and a solid arm. But he struggled at the plate, hitting only .241, including .085 with runners in scoring position and two outs. If Blake doesn’t rebound early this season, the Indians could call up Jason Dubois or Franklin Gutierrez from triple-A.
Designated hitter
Despite being out for three weeks and slowed for another month by a concussion, Travis Hafner hit .305 with 33 home runs last season. He was third in the American League with a .408 on-base percentage and third with a .595 slugging percentage, and he finished fifth in MVP voting.
Starting rotation
The Indians have to replace Kevin Millwood, who led the American League in ERA. Paul Byrd and Jason Johnson were brought in as free agents, but the onus will be on C.C. Sabathia, Cliff Lee and Jake Westbrook to match or exceed their performances from a year ago. Sabathia struggled in the middle of the season, then went 9-1 with a 2.24 ERA over his final 11 starts. ‘‘For me to put together a full season would be huge for us," he said.
Bullpen
The bullpen is generally the least predictable part of a team, so Indians officials will be holding their breath through the opening weeks. But there is reason for optimism. Five relievers return from the group that posted a major league-leading 2.80 ERA last season: closer Bob Wickman, who saved 45 games in 50 chances; Fernando Cabrera; Rafael Betancourt; Matt Miller and Scott Sauerbeck. Guillermo Mota was acquired to be the setup man, and he was healthy and throwing well this spring after battling elbow and shoulder injuries last season. Danny Graves earned the final spot, with Jason Davis and Andrew Brown waiting in triple-A.

— Scott Priestle [email protected]

 

[NFBuck]

Not a good start...Sabathia out after 2.1 IP. Anybody watching this, is he hurt?

 

[BuckBackHome]

Not a good start...Sabathia out after 2.1 IP. Anybody watching this, is he hurt?

From the Cleveland Plain Dealer site:

Sabathia leaves game
Indians starter C.C. Sabathia left tonight's season opener with an injury after pitching just 2 1/3 innings.

Sabathia was impressive through the first two innings - striking out two, but ran into trouble in the third, giving up three runs, two of them earned. He was seen grabbing his rib cage after throwing a pitch to Tadahito Iguichi.

Sabathia was replaced by Danny Graves, who walked two batters, made an error and gave up an infield hit and a sacrifice fly.

 

[thackattack]

Oh boy, a rain delay! :(

 

[exhawg]

Oh boy, a rain delay! :(

This is the best thing that could happen for the Tribe. If the delay lasts long enough Buehlre will be done for the night so it will be the Indians bull pen vs the Sox bull pin. I just hope CC isn't hurt very badly. On the bright side they have 4 pitchers in Buffalo chomping at the bit to get a shot with the Tribe.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

Was that a Danny Graves sighting. I thought he was out of the league after the Reds cut him.

 

[JCOSU86]

About the "free" games being televised in Columbus: It's great WWHO (53, UPN) has the rights, but they are the only over-the-air station without HD in C-bus! :( I hope they are going to add HD programming!

 

[thackattack]

This is the best thing that could happen for the Tribe. If the delay lasts long enough Buehlre will be done for the night so it will be the Indians bull pen vs the Sox bull pin. I just hope CC isn't hurt very badly. On the bright side they have 4 pitchers in Buffalo chomping at the bit to get a shot with the Tribe.

Good point. I just meant that in general it wasn't the greatest omen, after a long offseason. And yes, hooray for Danny Graves and his appearance. Not sure how I feel about the Tribe picking him up. I just feel like he frequently screwed over one Ohio baseball team, and is now getting a chance to do the same to the other. Maybe that's just me being pessimistic.

 

[NFBuck]

Looks to me like this game is over for tonight...
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[WoodyWorshiper]

Back to the game fella's.

Gonna be a late nite, especially if Cabrera continues to miss the strike zone.

What a bummer on Sabathia. Nice arm but a nice arm don't go real good with a huge gut and a bubble butt. With all the talent this kid has, he'll likely be out of the Major leagues by the time he's 30 because he refuses to keep himself in shape.