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Indians Tidbits (2006 season)..

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ABJ

4/3/06

ChiSox beat Indians 10-4 after rain delay

RICK GANO

Associated Press

<!-- begin body-content -->CHICAGO - The Chicago White Sox celebrated the past. Then newcomer Jim Thome showed them the promise of a new season. Thome hit a two-run homer after a nearly three-hour rain delay and the defending World Series champions beat the Cleveland Indians 10-4 Sunday night in the major league opener, a game that didn't end until 2:10 a.m. EDT.
Thome played his first 12 seasons with the Indians before spending the last three in Philadelphia. Facing Cleveland for the first time, he drove out a long homer in a three-run fourth inning off reliever Fernando Cabrera and made his first curtain call at U.S. Cellular Field.
"It was really special against the team you played for," Thome said. "The crowd the way they showed up was great. ... I think everyone knows my history in Cleveland, very fond memories. ... It was neat. It brought back a lot of memories."
Cleveland, which chased Chicago for the AL Central title a year ago only to falter in the final week, sustained an early loss when starter C.C. Sabathia had to leave after 2 1-3 innings after he strained an abdominal muscle while delivering a pitch. He will be re-examined Monday.
"It was just the one pitch," Sabathia said. "I don't know what caused it. I threw the pitch, tried to get it on Iguchi and I just felt it grab me a little bit."
Indians manager Eric Wedge said the injury could potentially send the big left-hander to the disabled list. "It's just a matter of how bad it is," he said.
Brandon McCarthy, who replaced starter Mark Buehrle after the long delay, pitched three perfect innings for the victory.
After the 2-hour, 57-minute delay, the game resumed in the bottom of the fourth and, after Cabrera (0-1) walked the first two hitters, the rain began to come down again.
Tadahito Iguchi's sacrifice fly gave the White Sox a 4-3 lead and Thome delivered a long shot to right through the rain for a three-run cushion. A.J. Pierzynski hit an RBI single and rookie Brian Anderson a two-run single in the fifth to make it 9-3 as the skies finally cleared.
World Series MVP Jermaine Dye, who got the first hit of the 2006 season with an infield roller, singled in another run in the sixth.
The attendance was announced at 38,802 - a sellout - and about a one-fourth of the crowd stayed around for the resumption of the game after a long wait.
But White Sox fans know how to wait - 88 years between World Series winners.
Chicago clinched all three of its playoff series on the road last season. And despite a wild parade through the streets of the city, Sunday night presented the first chance for the White Sox and their followers to celebrate in their own ballpark.
When the final out of last October's Game 4 clincher in Houston was replayed on the large center-field scoreboard at the end of a video retrospective, four championship banners hanging beneath outfield light poles were uncovered and fireworks went off.
One banner saluted the club's World Series championships in 1906 and 1917, another was for last year's winner, a third hailed the team's AL championship and the fourth marked its division winners. After the fireworks, another video tribute followed, accompanied by Queen's "We Are The Champions."
"It was great. It was a great experience. I really enjoyed it," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "I've had a lot of opening days in my life, but I think that was really special. It was the best one I've ever been in."
The fans agreed.
"It was awesome. This is really exciting," Pat Valiska of suburban Highland Park said. "We've waited a long time for this."
The ceremony also featured the unfurling of an American flag as big as the outfield during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" and then a knee-knocking flyover by two jets.
And in the bottom of the third, the White Sox looked like the team that went 11-1 in the playoffs last year, scoring three off Sabathia.
Juan Uribe walked and Anderson hit a liner to left that went off the top of Jason Michaels' glove for a double. Scott Podsednik hit an RBI grounder and Iguchi followed with an RBI single.
As he delivered that pitch to Iguchi, Sabathia felt the strain. Wedge and a trainer came out of the dugout and after Sabathia threw a couple of warmup tosses, he was forced to leave the game.
Reliever Danny Graves walked Thome and then made a wild pickoff throw to second, allowing the runners to advance. Paul Konerko then hit a sacrifice fly and it was 3-0.
But the Indians tied it quickly in the top of the fourth off Mark Buehrle on Victor Martinez's double and a towering two-run homer by Eduardo Perez, playing his first game with the Indians.
Notes: Thome has 431 homers, tying him for 35th place with Cal Ripken. ...The White Sox also beat the Indians in the 2005 opener, winning 1-0 as Buehrle and Shingo Takatsu combined on a two-hitter. That game took just 1:51 to play.
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Canton

4/3/06

25-year-old Sabathia ready to pitch like the veteran he is

Monday, April 3, 2006


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


C.C. Sabathia has grown up in an Indians uniform. He was drafted by Cleveland at age 17 and was in the starting rotation at 20.
Fast-forward to 2006. He’s 25 and married with two children. He’s lived through some bad experiences, both on and off the field. He’s been named an All-Star twice.
And, during that maturing process, Sabathia has become convinced of one thing — baseball offers its best to those who play it like a kid.
“When I was a young player, I took it too seriously,” said Sabathia, whose 69 career wins are far and away the most of any big-league pitcher under 26. “I was trying to live up to (reputation). I put too much pressure on myself. I overanalyzed my performance. I reacted to it the way any young person would do in that situation.”
Sabathia’s maturity was put to the test last season when he went on a five-game losing streak in July. His ERA was 8.39 during that span, and his season ERA had ballooned to 5.16. Sabathia was booed by fans at Jacobs Field who had come to expect more from their three-time Opening Day starter.
If Sabathia needed someone to identify with, he didn’t have to look far. Sitting across the clubhouse was veteran third baseman Aaron Boone, who was going through the worst season of his career. Boone’s reaction to his misfortune — encouraging teammates, working hard, never offering excuses — caught Sabathia’s notice.
“I tried to be strong mentally,” Sabathia said. “Boonie helped me learn not to live and die with every pitch. If I stay in the game mentally and focus on every pitch, I’ll make the good pitch when I need to.”
Some of Sabathia’s problems came from tipping off pitches. Some came from simply battling a tendency to let poor results snowball into frustration and even worse results.
Sabathia said the notion he would need to demonstrate more composure and self-control on the mound was not a new concept.
“If I’m trying to be the pitcher I can be, I’ll have to control my emotions,” Sabathia said. “They always seem to get me in trouble. It’s been like this since I was 12 years old. Last year, in the second half, I kept myself under wraps.”
Just what happens when Sabathia keeps himself under wraps? Check out his 11 starts from Aug. 5 through the end of last season — 9-1, 2.24 ERA, 74 strikeouts in 76 innings.
“What happened to C.C. was as good an individual accomplishment as we had last year,” Indians General Manager Mark Shapiro said. “The league made an adjustment to him. And when he made an adjustment back, they couldn’t hit him.”
Manager Eric Wedge said the significance of Sabathia’s late surge could extend beyond those 11 starts.
“Arguably, when he looks back at his career, last year will be one of the most important years he’s had,” Wedge said.
“You saw what he’s capable of doing last year, especially the last 2½ months. He worked hard physically and from a fundamental standpoint. He got better at handling his emotions. He learned how to not give in to the fight.”
What would have happened if Sabathia had carried that positive momentum into the postseason? We’ll never know.
The Indians lost six of their final seven games and were eliminated from playoff consideration on the final day of the regular season.
“When I got home, I was a little disappointed in the way it ended,” Sabathia said. “But when you look back on the season we had, winning 93 games, it’s tough to be disappointed.” Reach Repository sports writer Andy Call at (330) 580-8346 or e-mail: [email protected]


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Canton

4/3/06

Cleveland’s top 10 prospects

Monday, April 3, 2006


Adam Miller, RHP

Miller, 21, was shut down with a strained elbow ligament two weeks into spring training last year. When he came back, he struggled with Class A Lake County (.405 opponents average), Class A Kinston (4.83 ERA) and in the Arizona Fall League (5.68 ERA). There was good news. Miller’s fastball velocity increased from 91 to 97 mph, and his changeup became more effective. Miller likely will start at Double-A Akron in 2006.


Jeremy Sowers, LHP

The 22-year-old lefty held his own in big-league spring training after an impressive 2005 season (14-4, 2.37 ERA). His fastball, slider and changeup are accurate if not overpowering. The only negative is that he is a very intelligent young man who may tend to overanalyze. There is no denying his talent, and he could get his first big-league callup this year after beginning the season with Triple-A Buffalo.


Brad Snyder, OF

Snyder, 25, missed his freshman year at Ball State because of a car accident and his 2004 spring training because of an eye infection. Snyder has persevered, however, and played well last year (.279, 31 doubles, 22 HRs). He has the speed and range of a center fielder and the arm of a right fielder. Snyder needs to be a bit more selective, as his 158 strikeouts would attest, and can work on that at Class AA Akron this summer.


Fausto Carmona, RHP

The 22-year-old was impressive during spring training and is in line to be the first starting pitcher called up from Buffalo. Carmona had a 0.75 ERA and did not issue a walk in 13 innings. He was a combined 13-8, 3.68 for Akron and Buffalo last summer. He has never been a high-strikeout pitcher, but Carmona can get a ground ball at an opportune moment.


Ryan Garko, 1B/C

Garko, 25, completed his transition from catching to first base during spring training. He continued to show a good bat, following up on a solid 2005 season with Triple-A Buffalo (.303, 19 HRs, 77 RBIs). Garko needs only to spend more time at first base to force his way into the big leagues for good.


Franklin Gutierrez, OF

The 23-year-old Gutierrez has helped his cause by becoming a more selective hitter. Gutierrez batted .341 with four home runs and 31 RBIs in 51 games during the winter in Venezuela, walking as many times (28) as he struck out. He had nearly as many walks (seven) as strikeouts (eight) in spring training. That selectivity may help him improve his .277 career minor-league average. His speed and arm could get him from Buffalo to the big leagues soon.


Fernando Cabrera, RHP

Cleveland’s closer of the future will take the next step toward that role this summer, moving from the minor leagues to the Indians bullpen. The 25-year-old had a 1.23 ERA in 30 appearances for Buffalo in 2005 and also pitched in 15 big-league games. The fastball and split-finger fastball are his primary pitches. His size and demeanor are assets as well.


Trevor Crowe, OF

Crowe, 22, batted .251 with 10 doubles and 29 RBIs in 59 minor-league games last year. He is a switch-hitter with above-average speed but probably does not have the arm and range to play center field in the big leagues. His skill closely resembles that of former Indians outfielder Coco Crisp.


Stephen Head, 1B

Head, 22, a second-round pick last year, didn’t disappoint, driving in 50 runs in 57 games while hitting .308 with 10 home runs. He is big (6-foot-3, 220 pounds) with long arms and is only going to get stronger. He will begin the season at Kinston or Akron.


Michael Aubrey, 1B

Three years after they drafted Aubrey in the first round, the Indians are still asking “what if?” He missed all of spring training with back problems, the fourth consecutive year Aubrey, 23, has been injured. When healthy, his numbers have been good (.314, 121 RBIs in 164 games), and he is a solid defender.


Editor’s note Andy Marte, the third baseman acquired from Boston for Coco Crisp, was with another team when Baseball America compiled its list.
ANDY CALL
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ABJ

4/4/06

Dolans have confidence in Indians new television contract

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter



CHICAGO - During the winter, when the Indians said they were taking control of their television broadcasts, fans rejoiced.
Finally, the Tribe and the New York Yankees would have something in common: their own TV networks. Of course, the Tribe wouldn't become as wealthy as the Yankees, with their metro area of 14 million potential viewers.
But instead of selling rights fees to the highest (or only) bidder, the Indians would produce the games, sell the air time and create new shows that would reap additional revenue.
The financial benefits appeared almost too good to be true. That's because they are. Or at least they might be.
Other teams have tried to operate their own sports networks and failed.
But didn't the media report that this year alone, the Tribe will be the recipient of $28 million? That's probably at least $10 million more than the club was paid in rights fees in 2005 by Fox Sports Net, which has been left out in the cold by the formation of SportsTime Ohio, the Indians' new network.
Where did the $28 million figure come from, and does this represent profit or merely income to pay the bills of Fastball Productions, the corporation the Dolan family formed to operate SportsTime Ohio?
Indians President Paul Dolan, son of team owner Larry Dolan, has not endorsed this figure. As might be expected, he is not eager to reveal financial data in public.
``I don't know how much we're going to make this year,'' Dolan said. ``I don't know how many cable distributors are coming aboard, and I don't know what the advertising dollars will be.''
What the Indians -- as well as the Chicago Cubs and White Sox, Boston Red Sox and Yankees -- have done is take on the task of starting a business totally unrelated to baseball.
Until now, Dolan had to worry about hiring the right people to put together a team, manage its players, operate a farm system, promote, market and sell tickets to games.
Television is a different kind of enterprise. The baseball business is not the TV business. So far, the Tribe has gone into partnership (of sorts) with Time Warner to distribute the games and hired Channel 3 to produce the games.
For the moment, Time Warner people will sell commercial time. Later, the Dolans might discover it is to their advantage to hire TV sales and marketing people. Nobody really knows for sure.
``Our network is no different than any cable network,'' Dolan said. ``You make money by charging a fee to all cable subscribers. That's the bulk of the revenue, just like Fox Sports Net. Time Warner will make its money on the commercials.''
If it works, the team can earn substantially more dollars than it did selling rights fees because the middle man is eliminated. On the other hand, the most recent rights holder, FSN, took all the risks. Now the Indians will be in that position.
Dolan thinks he has overcome the biggest hurdle already: lining up a large distributor to carry the games. Time Warner is the dominant cable company in Ohio, holding exclusive franchises with the cities of Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Youngstown and Columbus.
Time Warner also has thousands of hookups in suburban areas and is in the process of completing the purchase of Adelphia and Comcast cable companies.
With the latest agreement, with satellite provider DirecTV, SportsTime Ohio has reached its goal of making the games available to 2.8 million cable and satellite households.
The Indians' TV territory includes almost all of Ohio except the Cincinnati area, which by baseball rule belongs to the Reds.
So what could go wrong?
``The most glaring example of this not working was in Minnesota,'' Dolan said. ``A couple of things were against them. They spent a lot of money on University of Minnesota (events) without having distribution.
``They didn't have enough cable systems to carry the (Twins and other) games. That's why we waited for Time Warner. Then you can build a network.''
How long are the Dolans prepared to carry on their experiment of being television entrepreneurs?
``We have distribution and are prepared to stay the course,'' Dolan said.
Besides producing the entire TV schedule, Channel 3 will air 20 games, giving non-cable subscribers a chance to see the team.
``It was important for us to have some over-the-air games, and 20 seemed like the right number,'' Dolan said. ``If we had all 158 games on our own network, it would probably be more valuable for us (financially).
``But there also is a value in generating more interest and ticket sales just by having a bigger audience.''
In addition to carrying 138 baseball games, the Dolans expect to expand SportsTime Ohio to a 24/7 network.
``By mid-summer, we hope to have some non-Indians programming,'' Dolan said. ``But that's only a rough estimate.''
``Other'' programming would include studios shows, high school and area college sports -- presumably the University of Akron, Kent State, Cleveland State and maybe Division III schools.
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ABJ

4/4/06

Sabathia decision today

Lefty evaluated. Indians to decide whether disabled list is next stop for pitcher

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CHICAGO - A decision whether to place Indians pitcher C.C. Sabathia on the disabled list was delayed until today to give doctors more time to evaluate an MRI taken Monday morning.
Sabathia strained an abdominal muscle throwing a pitch to Jim Thome of the White Sox in the third inning of the season opener Sunday night.
He suffered a similar injury March 6, 2005, during a spring training game and missed almost six weeks.
``It doesn't feel like it's as bad as last year,'' Sabathia said after the game.
Tribe officials are leaning toward using the disabled list, however, to give Sabathia sufficient time to recover.
If that course is followed, the soonest that he could rejoin the rotation is April 18, but that would mean the injury is significantly less severe than the one that he sustained last year.
If Sabathia lands on the DL, Jason Davis would be called up from Triple-A Buffalo to become the club's eighth reliever, and the rotation would consist of four pitchers through April 15, when a fifth would be needed for the first time.
Under that scenario, Fausto Carmona would be called up from Triple-A to take Sabathia's place as a starter.
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LINK

Indians' Sabathia May Miss 3 to 5 Weeks

CHICAGO - Cleveland Indians ace lefty C.C. Sabathia was put on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday and is expected to be out three to five weeks with a strained right oblique muscle.

The 6-foot-7, 290-pound Sabathia was hurt in Sunday night's season opener against the Chicago White Sox and had to leave in the third inning after throwing just 37 pitches. His injury is similar to one he had a year ago, when he began the season on the DL after hurting the muscle in spring training. He missed six weeks but still finished 15-10.

"It's not as bad as it was last year," Sabathia said before Tuesday's game against the White Sox. "It feels good today. I feel zero pain. Last year it hurt for about a week or so. I woke up yesterday and it felt a little sore. Today I feel no pain."

But Sabathia's absence will likely hurt the Indians, who hoped to get off to a quick start this season in hopes of dethroning the White Sox in the AL Central.

"It's clearly disappointing and it's also part of the game," Indians general manager Mark Shapiro said. "Part of the ability to be a championship team is how you deal with setbacks during a 162-game season. ... It's part of the deal."

Indians trainer Lonnie Soloff said Sabathia's weight is not a problem, and Shapiro noted that Sabathia had made at least 30 starts for five straight seasons. It is just Sabathia's second trip to the DL in a major league career that began in 2001.

"The fact that it has happened back-to-back years is a cause for some concern at a low-level," Soloff said. "But once again, he's a rotational athlete and he generates some pretty intense torque around his front side. His rotational velocities are probably the highest in the game, just from his height and his size.

"I would say that his size plays into that, not his weight. We are comfortable where he is from a weight standpoint."

Sabathia said he's been steadfast with his conditioning. He pulled out of pitching for the U.S. team in the World Baseball Classic so he would be ready for the season, another sign of his resolve to be the Indians' No. 1 starter.

"I'm working hard and doing everything I can to stay on top of that. I have been for the past two years," he said.

"Conditioning has always been an important part of C.C.'s game, mainly more than most because he's such a big guy," manager Eric Wedge said. "He's been consistent with it and as strong as he's every been. ... As electric as it was other night, he probably tried to reach back and do a little more and tweaked it."

Soloff said that Sabathia's arm should be ready to respond from the layoff sooner than a year ago because he pitched in spring training. In 2005 he was hurt warming up prior to his first spring start on March 6 and wasn't activated until April 16.

The Indians called up 6-foot-6 reliever Jason Davis to take Sabathia's roster spot. Cleveland doesn't need a fifth starter until April 15 because of off days so will get by with four starters until then and then find a spot starter. The rest of the rotation is Jake Westbrook, Cliff Lee, Jason Johnson and Paul Byrd.

Sabathia felt the muscle grab when he delivered a pitch to Tadahito Iguchi in the third inning Sunday. He tried some warmup pitches but had to leave the game after just 2 1-3 innings.

"I was watching the game in the clubhouse, just watching video and I was throwing the ball harder than I thought I was," he said. "I was going up there trying to throw nice and easy, go 90, 91 and it was more like 93, 94. It was just being pumped up, I guess, because of the circumstances in the game."

Sabathia was 9-1 in his final 11 starts a year ago, almost pitching the Indians into the playoffs with a great stretch run before they lost six of their last seven games. Now Cleveland will have to make do without him, at least for a while.
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ABJ

4/5/06


Indians report

Strained muscle sends Sabathia to DL

Carmona likely will be called up from Buffalo

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CHICAGO - The Indians' season will continue without C.C. Sabathia, but one player's misfortune can be another's big break.
For the next 10 days, the Tribe will get along with four starters, but on April 15, Fausto Carmona probably will be summoned from Buffalo to fill the final spot in the rotation.
General Manager Mark Shapiro won't guarantee that Carmona is the pitcher of choice, because who knows what might happen between now and the day a fifth starter is needed?
However, the plan is to juggle the rotation at Triple-A so that Carmona is available to pitch in Detroit 11 days from now.
Sabathia is eligible to come off the disabled list April 18, though it is doubtful he will return to the active roster that soon.
``We're hoping he can come back within three to five weeks,'' head trainer Lonnie Soloff said Tuesday. ``We're anticipating that it be closer to three weeks, as soon as it's safely possible.''
This is the second year in a row Sabathia has strained an abdominal muscle, the right internal oblique. This time, he did it throwing a third-inning pitch Sunday night.
Being in a position to compare, his immediate reaction was to think the injury was more severe than the one that put him out of action for six weeks last season.
``But it feels real good today,'' Sabathia said. ``There's zero pain. Last year, it hurt for a week or so after it happened. It was hard to move, and it hurt to cough or sneeze.''
Soloff does not think Sabathia's muscle strain will become a chronic problem.
``Certainly, the fact that it happened in back-to-back seasons is cause for some concern at a low level,'' Soloff said. ``C.C. is a rotational athlete. He generates considerable torque on his right side.''
Soloff was asked if Sabathia's weight or conditioning was a factor.
``His size but not his weight,'' the trainer said. ``We are comfortable where his weight is.''
Added manager Eric Wedge, ``Conditioning is always going to be an important part of C.C.'s game, because he's such a big guy.''
Sabathia is accustomed to hearing complaints about his weight.
``I make sure to stay on top of it (conditioning),'' he said. ``I've been doing that for two years.''
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ABJ

4/5/06

Tribe back in business

After horrid opener, Indians rout White Sox with 14 hits

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CHICAGO - Contrary to appearances, the Indians' world did not come to an end late Sunday night and early Monday morning.
When the players emerged from the visitors clubhouse at U.S. Cellular Field for batting practice Tuesday, they squinted into the sun, then noticed that nobody had torn the names off the backs of their jerseys.
So after making sure there really were 161 games left in the season, the Wahoos went out and pounded the Chicago White Sox 8-2 to set up the first rubber match of the season this afternoon.
``Our goal is to win series,'' Jake Westbrook said. ``We weren't going to be able to do that unless we won today.''
Westbrook (1-0, 2.84 ERA) upheld his end of the bargain, limiting Chicago to both runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings.
He used his excellent sinker to produce 10 ground-ball outs (one double play) and struck out four.
``My sinker was good today, and I was locating all my pitches,'' he said. ``I really felt strong.''
Westbrook's only mistake of consequence was giving up a home run to Jim Thome that trimmed the Indians' lead to 4-1 in the fourth inning. The ex-Tribe slugger has a home run in both games this season.
``I felt like I made a decent pitch, and he went down and got it,'' Westbrook said. ``But it was a solo home run, so it wasn't a big deal at the time.''
Indians batsmen took manager Eric Wedge's one-through-nine offensive concept to heart, amassing 14 hits, including solo home runs by Victor Martinez and Aaron Boone.
Everyone in the lineup got at least one hit, but Boone, the No. 8 hitter, and Casey Blake, who bats ninth, did the most damage.
``That's the way we need to do things,'' Wedge said. ``We have to count on everybody.''
Boone hit safely in his first four trips to the plate. In order: he singled; singled to drive in a run and stole second; doubled home two runs and homered.
In addition to amassing four hits, Boone's four RBI were one more than he had in any game in 2005.
At this time last year, Boone was beginning a two-month skid that saw his batting average dive to .151 on June 3. He had nine hits the entire month of April, which compares to five for the first two games this season.
Boone said he can't account for getting off to a good start.
``I don't know, because I've never done it,'' he said. ``It's a long, long, long, long year. But this is definitely nice. It makes dinner nicer.
``It's just one game, but I feel healthy; I feel like myself.''
Last April, Boone was coming off a missed season caused by a knee operation.
Blake emulated the perfect leadoff batter, accepting three walks (one intentional) and ripping two singles. In the first two games, he has drawn four walks and is 3-for-4.
``I wanted to be patient my first at-bat and see how he was going to pitch me,'' Blake said of Chicago starter Freddy Garcia (0-1, 15.75 ERA).
In four starts against the Indians last season, Garcia was 2-0 with a 2.63 ERA. Tuesday, he was shelled for seven runs (one less than he allowed all last season against the Tribe) and nine hits in just four innings. The bullpen let in two of the runs charged to him.
The Indians had two three-run innings, the biggest being a fourth-inning rally that stretched their lead to 4-0. The most distinctive aspect of the inning is that nothing happened until there were two out.
At that point, Ronnie Belliard doubled. Boone, Blake and Grady Sizemore all singled to produce the runs.
Whatever was ailing the Tribe in Sunday's season-opening 10-4 loss had disappeared by Tuesday. Nobody will ever know if players still had their heads firmly planted in Florida or whether emotional issues were involved at all in the sad performance. But something was different.
``I don't know,'' Blake said, thinking back two days. ``We got three runs off (Mark) Buehrle, then sat around for three hours (for a rain delay). But so did they.
``I do think it would have turned out different if we had played the game straight through.''
When play was stopped, the score was tied 3-3.
Blake has seen the Indians get off to slow starts the past three Aprils. He doesn't know why, but he thinks immediate success or failure has a ``psychological'' component.
``Our guys can be a little too impatient,'' he said.
``Sometimes they don't realize how long the season is. At times, you get a little impatient, a little anxious. I've certainly been in that position one too many times.''
Tuesday was obviously not one of those days.
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