Indians Tidbits (2006 season)..

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

5/29/06

INDIANS NOTEBOOK

Cabrera overcomes crisis in confidence

Monday, May 29, 2006

Scott Priestle
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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DETROIT — Failure is inevitable in baseball, and failing in the late innings inevitably brings attention and criticism. Just the thought of it can turn an extraordinary talent into an ordinary player.
Indians reliever Fernando Cabrera has battled those doubts this season.
He allowed seven walks and 10 runs in 5 2 /3 innings in his first five appearances, then suffered a bruised right heel when he was struck by a hard grounder. He went on the disabled list, as much to rehabilitate his wounded psyche as the foot, and has since been a different pitcher.
Cabrera threw 8 2 /3 impressive innings for triple-A Buffalo on a rehab assignment and has allowed only five hits and three runs in 11 innings since being activated from the DL, with 14 strikeouts and five walks.
"I’m going to keep walking guys, but now if a guy gets on base, I’m going to feel more comfortable," he said. "Before, I was thinking the guy was going to score. I wasn’t mentally tough enough. I know I can do it, but not at that time."
Cabrera is quiet and thoughtful, and his struggles late in spring training and early in the season seemed to weigh heavily on him. He said he used the time in Buffalo to project a moreconfident image on the mound.
"You could tell I wasn’t having fun. I was thinking too much," he said. "Everything comes with confidence.
"It’s not anything with my arm. It’s just being relaxed, more comfortable, not trying to do too much."
Nice to see you

Paul Byrd has had three encouraging outings in a row, allowing six earned runs in 20 innings, with 15 strikeouts and no walks.
"I’m glad to get back to the old Paul Byrd," he said, "the guy who throws 85 and locates it, not the guy trying to impress the team that signed him, throwing 89."
Byrd threw a first-pitch strike to 21 of the 26 batters he faced Saturday, and he threw 70 strikes among his 90 pitches. He allowed nine walks and 20 earned runs in 19 2 /3 innings in his first four starts.
Hit and run

Grady Sizemore and Jason Michaels collided while chasing a ball in the gap yesterday, and Sizemore barely avoided a collision with Todd Hollandsworth on Saturday. In both cases, both players called for the ball and could not hear each other. "That’s when playing together helps," Sizemore said. ... Former first-round pick Michael Aubrey is back on the disabled list with double-A Akron, this time because of a strained right knee. Aubrey has played only 178 games since being selected 11 th overall in the 2003 draft.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

5/31/06

Signs of positivity

Sabathia turns in another good outing, Indians finally come together for all-around solid victory

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - It wasn't exactly a win for the ages, but as far as the puzzling Indians are concerned, their 4-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night was something akin to a season saver.
Of course, it's far too early to know whether the Tribe will make a charge the rest of the way or continue its journey to .500 mediocrity. But for one night, at least, everything was coming up roses at Jacobs Field.
Naturally, C.C. Sabathia had something to do with it. For six innings, the ace of the staff allowed all the runs (one unearned), seven hits and one walk, striking out five.
He continued his relentless span of excellence that began on Aug. 5 of last year, when he altered his style from power thrower to cunning craftsman. Since his transformation, Sabathia has compiled a 14-2 record and 1.97 ERA in 20 starts.
``C.C. was outstanding tonight,'' Indians manager Eric Wedge said, ``He had to work hard, make big pitches and get big outs. That was as tough as I've ever seen him.''
Sabathia (5-1, 1.71 ERA) wasn't as sharp as in his previously two outings, both complete games, one a shutout.
And in contrast to those starts, he cut loose with a few 98 mph fastballs and delivered 112 pitches.
In each of his past two games, he threw 102 pitches and very few fastballs above 93 mph.
While the results were not quite so dramatic, Sabathia got the job done, He also had to deal with adversity created by his lodge brothers in the field, a hurdle that is becoming commonplace.
For example, Juan Uribe led off the third inning with an infield hit off Sabathia.
``A lot (of his new pitching style) has to do with my emotions, and the way I'm able to stay calm,'' he said. ``Uribe hit that little nubber, and I came up smiling like, `What can you do?' ''
``Two years ago, I would have been cussing and ranting and raving. You can't pitch that way.''
Little did Sabathia know that more bad stuff was to come. Brian Anderson laid down a bunt that rolled 12 feet in front of the plate.
Victor Martinez scooped up the ball cleanly with his catcher's glove, took dead aim at first baseman Eduardo Perez and delivered a line drive to right field, putting runners on first and third.
Pablo Ozuna followed with a double that drove in both runners, but Sabathia stopped the bleeding there.
With two outs and two on in the fifth, Sabathia went 3-and-2 on Paul Konerko. After throwing two 98-mph fastballs, he delivered a changeup, and Konerko swung and missed.
It might have been the biggest out of the game, because Jermaine Dye was up next. He homered off Sabathia in the second, giving him three in 18 career at-bats against the lefty.
``I knew those two fastballs were in good spots, but he was timing them,'' Sabathia said. ``Victor put down a changeup, and he swung through it.''
In the sixth, Sabathia was presented with another test of his mettle after Joe Crede singled with one out and the Tribe holding a one-run lead. Chris Widger hit a routine pop fly between second and third just beyond the infield dirt.
Jhonny Peralta faded back but appeared to lose sight of the ball. Jason Michaels and Grady raced in from left and center, respectively, but they had too far to run, and the ball dropped for a single.
``It was the sky,'' Peralta said. ``You couldn't see too good. Michaels didn't see it either.''
Sabathia wasn't fazed. He induced Uribe to fly to center and struck out Anderson.
Buehrle (6-3, 2.89 ERA) is the ace of the Chicago staff, but he has not dominated the Indians this year.
He gave up three runs in four innings in an April 2 no-decision and was blasted for 13 hits and seven runs in a May 2 defeat.
Tuesday night, he had one horrid inning, giving up all the runs on four hits and a hit batter.
Aaron Boone led off with a single but reached third on Dye's error in right. After Sizemore was hit by a pitch, Michaels delivered a sacrifice fly, and Peralta homered for two more runs.
Travis Hafner kept the rally going with a double and scored on Martinez's double.
In assessing the Indians' place in the current universe, Sabathia said: ``We did it last year (came back). It won't be easy, but there's no panic.''
Smiling, he added, ``I don't know if that's good or bad, but we'll see.''
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ABJ

5/31/06

Changing manager not solution

By Terry Pluto

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - The e-mails are starting to gain momentum, as one fan demanded, ``When is it time to demand a managerial change?''
In his three years, Eric Wedge took an Indians team from 68 to 80 to 93 victories -- a team that has consistently been in the bottom 25 percent of payroll.
The Indians lost the American League ERA leader (Kevin Millwood) and a reliever who set a team appearance record (Bob Howry), and they didn't add Roger Clemens.
Now that they are 25-26 after 51 games, he should be fired? Would it really change anything to see someone such as Joel Skinner in the dugout? Could a new manager fix what is wrong with the pitching staff without the front office making any moves?
Wedge is a very boring manager, by design. Fans credit the players when the team does well, and blame him when it doesn't. This is not a whitewash of Wedge. His refusal to rest Victor Martinez (.169 in May, no homers) is ridiculous. He would not use backup catcher Kelly Shoppach (hitting .467 at Class AAA Buffalo) even once a week, and that made little sense.
The base running has been a disgrace, and the Indians have earned their place as the American League's worst defensive team. Their fundamentals have been disappearing faster than my hair. Some -- not all -- of the blame does belong to Wedge and his coaches.
Some in the Tribe front office believe that the problems might be due to the team pressing, I sense some guys are just too comfortable. I bet Wedge does, too. He has come down on the team hard a few times; he just doesn't tell people about it.
If you fault Wedge for his blunders, then do you credit him for the revival of Casey Blake, Aaron Boone and Ben Broussard at the plate? That's why it's so hard to evaluate a manager in his position.
Some fans said Wedge should ``yell at the players,'' like the Detroit Tigers' Jim Leyland did before they went on a winning streak. It helps to scream when your team ERA is the best in the league. If bellowing and spewing threats were the answer, why not hire Tony Soprano?
Before the game, General Manager Mark Shapiro correctly mentioned that the lack of consistent fielding and fundamentals bothered him the most. He correctly named center fielder Grady Sizemore and right fielder Casey Blake as the only players doing an above-average job with the glove.
Shapiro is as frustrated as the fans. You can tell the arrest of reliever Scott Sauerbeck, who was found hiding in the bushes by police after a night on the town, just galls the front office, because it's inexcusable.
Meanwhile, the Indians are 9 ½ games behind the first-place Tigers.
``We're not where we're even good enough to look at the teams ahead of us,'' Shapiro admitted. He mentioned the need to work harder and concentrate more.
He said C.C. Sabathia is the only consistent starter but said he was not about to ``replace four starters.'' Nor does he want to start ``the Buffalo shuttle.'' How about adding one pitcher? Jeremy Guthrie has a string of 16 scoreless innings and has a 0.53 ERA at Buffalo. He can start or relieve.
The Indians have a team ERA of 4.91, ranking 10th in the league. After 51 games, that pleads for something to happen, especially since the Indians have viable options in the minors.
Guillermo Mota is not the same guy who was a superb setup man for the Los Angeles Dodgers a few years ago. He was traded to the Florida Marlins on July 30, 2004, and had a 4.81 for them for the rest of that season. Last year, it was 4.70. This season, it's 5.64. Jason Johnson (3-4, 5.80) has inspired little confidence.
You don't have to change everybody, but how about somebody? But that person should not be the manager.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

5/31/06

Indians notebook

Sauerbeck apologetic about arrest

Tribe pitcher faces two misdemeanor charges after 4 a.m. incident

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - In the wake of giving up a run in the only inning he pitched Monday afternoon and being booked on two misdemeanor chargers in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, Indians reliever Scott Sauerbeck was grim and apologetic by Tuesday afternoon.
``I want to apologize to my family, my teammates, the organization and the fans, if I caused them any embarrassment,'' he said. ``I'm sorry if I created a distraction for my teammates. Usually I'm a low-key guy.''
Sauerbeck and Lilly Miller, 28, were arrested by Sheffield Village police about 4 a.m. He was charged with obstructing official business and wrongful entrustment (letting an intoxicated person drive his car).
She was charged with DUI after tests showed her blood-alcohol level at .253 (the legal limit in Ohio is .08). According to police, Sauerbeck appeared to have been drinking, but he was not tested.
``I made a terrible error in judgment,'' Sauerbeck said. ``This is something I have to live with the rest of my life. But I'm a big boy. I can handle it.''
According to the Associated Press account, police noticed a car being driven erratically at 3:45 a.m. Miller pulled into a residential driveway, and both occupants of the 1966 Lincoln Continental walked into the backyard, jumping a fence.
Occupants of the house heard voices and called police, who already were in the area. Officers found Sauerbeck and Miller hiding in the bushes.
``I listened to everything Scott had to say, including the fact that he sounded very apologetic,'' General Manager Mark Shapiro said.
It was unclear by Shapiro's remarks whether the club would fine or suspend Sauerbeck, but he was available to pitch Tuesday night.
``Mark and I talked to Scott,'' manager Eric Wedge said. ``Obviously, he made a mistake. I am comfortable with his explanation. We will let the legal process play out.''
If convicted on the misdemeanor charges, Sauerbeck and Miller could be fined up to $1,000 and spend six months in jail on each count. They will be arraigned Thursday in Avon Lake municipal court.
Sauerbeck, his wife and two children live in West Bradenton, Fla.
Early return
Third baseman Aaron Boone has a bump on his head but was cleared to play. He suffered a slight concussion Monday, when he fell into the TV camera well near third base chasing a foul ball.
``My head feels pretty good and my neck feels pretty good,'' Boone said. ``My shoulder is kind of sore, because I rolled when I hit the concrete. All in all, I was pretty lucky.''
No deal
Shapiro explained why the Tribe will not be involved in a deal in the immediate future.
``We can't make a trade now for two reasons,'' he said. ``No. 1, this is not an active trading period, and No. 2, we want to see if the extra work we're doing plays out.''
Farm facts
Ryan Garko doubled and hit his sixth homer run, as Buffalo outslugged Columbus 12-9 in Class AAA. Jeremy Sowers gave up three runs (two earned) in 5 1/3 innings.... Charles Lofgren (8-2, 1.77 ERA) gave up one run and three hits in seven innings, as Kinston beat Wilmington 3-1 in Class A. Trevor Crowe got two hits to raise his average to .311.... Mike Conroy hit his sixth and seventh homers in Lake County's 7-6 win over Greensboro in Class A.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

5/31/06

Notebook

Tribe sends Boone to hospital for tests

Third baseman likely has concussion after falling into television camera pit while chasing foul ball

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

• Little light at the end of tunnel
• Tribe sends Boone to hospital for tests
• Thome reaches No. 450 in familiar territory
• MLB notebook: Pirates' Casey makes return
• Indians' offense takes a holiday
• Excerpt from Terry Pluto's new book: Jim Thome leaves

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - Third baseman Aaron Boone made a move to catch a foul ball that was above and beyond the call of duty Monday, and it cost him a trip to Lutheran Hospital.
With two outs, one run home and a runner on first in the third inning, Juan Uribe of the Chicago White Sox lifted a foul ball near third. Boone chased it to the television camera pit, tumbled over the railing and landed on his head.
``Aaron wanted to get up right away,'' manager Eric Wedge said after the Indians' 11-0 loss at Jacobs Field. ``But (head trainer) Lonnie Soloff wanted to make sure he did everything slow.''
Boone was diagnosed with a concussion and was sent to the hospital to undergo a CT scan and possibly other tests.
``We won't know for sure how he is until tomorrow,'' Wedge said. ``I don't know if it will be a DL situation, but I'm optimistic because he was very alert.
``He was alert on the field and continued to be alert when he walked off the field. He's a gamer. He wanted to go back out there.''
Travis Hafner missed three weeks last year with a concussion, which was described at the time as mild.
When Boone left for the hospital, he had a knot on the top of his head but was lucid.
Starting pitcher Cliff Lee didn't get a good look at Boone's fall, but he spoke to him in the clubhouse.
``I watched the replay, and it didn't look good,'' Lee said. ``But I talked to him, and he said he felt good, just a little woozy. He seemed fine, the way he was walking around.''
Move coming?
With the Tribe foundering below .500, what's the possibility of an impending trade?
``I don't think we've reached that point,'' Wedge said. ``There's a fine line. You want to be patient, but you have to feel some sense of urgency to get this turned around in the right direction.''
Taking responsibility
Wedge said it was his task to make sure the team is ready to play to its ability.
``It's my job to come in here and get these guys to play the way they are capable of playing,'' he said. ``That's frustrating. But I assure you that we will work as hard as we can to get this straightened out.''
Other stuff
The Indians have lost four of their past six and been shut out three times this year.... Their two-hit performance was the lowest output of the season.... Lee's start (2 2/3 innings) was his shortest of the season and snaps a 50-game string of starts in which he lasted at least five innings.... Grady Sizemore singled to stretch his hitting streak to 10 games.
Farm facts
Jeremy Guthrie threw six scoreless innings, giving up five hits and one walk, as Buffalo defeated Columbus 9-4 in Class AAA. Guthrie did not get the decision but lowered his ERA to 0.53.... Jensen Lewis yielded one run and three hits in 6 2/3 innings, as Kinston beat Winston-Salem 5-2 in Class A. Wyatt Toregas had three hits to lift his average to .354.... John Drennen had three hits, including a homer and a double, but Lake County dropped a 7-6 decision to Greensboro in Class A.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

5/31/06

Tribe Notebook: Tribe brass seeks solutions

Wednesday, May 31, 2006

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CLEVELAND - General Manager Mark Shapiro and Manager Eric Wedge both said Tuesday they are going about the business of fixing what’s wrong with the Cleveland Indians.
But, when pressed to describe the exact nature of the repairs, the answers entered on the work order were something less than specific.
“The work is getting done, and it’s more and different work,” Shapiro said. “Now let’s give it time to play out and see if it impacts the team.”
Wedge was asked to elaborate on what additional work was being done, or what work was being done in greater quantity.
“It’s not just lately, it’s been for a while,” Wedge said. “You do what you need to do to get better, whether it’s a conversation here and there or early work. We won’t get too caught up in the quantity of it. The quality of it is the difference.”
Conversations might not hurt, but more affirmative measures might be required to turn around a team that was 24-26 and 10 1/2 games out of first place through Monday.
“Probably what concerns me most, and the only two things that have been consistently wrong, are our defense and our execution of fundamentals,” Shapiro said.
Those two things may get better with practice, but Shapiro said they won’t be getting better via trades or callups from the minor leagues.
“This is not an active trading time,” Shapiro said. “Getting the shuttle going from Buffalo isn’t going to happen.”
Shapiro said the defense is his greatest concern. The Indians led the American League with 38 errors through Monday and the team’s .980 fielding percentage was worst in the league.
“Of the nine positions, we’ve had disappointing performances from seven of them,” Shapiro said. “Only Grady Sizemore (center field) and Casey Blake (right field) have been good defensively. Everybody else needs to get better.”
Just how are they going to get better? Wedge wasn’t specific on that point, but did say the Tribe does have time on its side.
“Our best days are ahead of us,” Wedge said. “Last year, we were 15 games out with two months left. This year, we’re 10 games out with four months left. We’ll just take it day-to-day, series-to-series.”

BOONE RETURNS Third baseman Aaron Boone was back in the lineup Monday, a day after suffering a mild concussion when he fell over a railing into the third-base camera pit. “My head and shoulder and finger are sore,” Boone said. “When you think about falling onto concrete, and landing on your head, I was kind of fortunate. I was able to barbecue a steak last night.”
NO SOWERS Those fans howling for a promotion for Triple-A Buffalo left-hander Jeremy Sowers are liable to grow hoarse before it happens. “Everybody but C.C. (Sabathia) has been inconsistent, but we aren’t going to turn over four-fifths of our rotation,” Shapiro said. “Also, Jeremy Guthrie is actually outperforming Sowers.”
A LITTLE PFP Indians pitchers went through some early drills Tuesday in preparation for interleague road games that begin next week. “They wanted to hit, but we kept it to bunting and slashing,” Wedge said. OZZIE BELIEVES Chicago Manager Ozzie Guillen said he doesn’t believe the Indians will go down without a fight. “They’re still missing one guy,” Guillen said. “That should be Kevin Millwood. But I don’t count them out. They definitely did it last year, and they will do it again. They have the right people. You still have to face a pretty good lineup.” ON THE FARM Single-A Kinston left-hander Charles Lofgren allowed one run on three hits over seven innings Monday in a 3-1 victory over Wilmington. Lofgren has an 8-2 record and 1.77 ERA in 10 starts. He was a fourth-round draft pick in 2004.


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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

5/31/06

INDIANS NOTEBOOK

Tribe sees increase in defensive miscues

Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Scott Priestle
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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CLEVELAND — There is no widely accepted measure of defensive performance, but statistics such as defensive efficiency, zone rating and fielding plus/minus paint a similar picture: The Indians were one of the best defensive teams in the American League last season and are among the worst this season, despite having virtually the same personnel.
"At seven of nine positions, we’re having disappointing defensive performances," general manager Mark Shapiro said. "Grady (Sizemore in center field) and Casey (Blake in right field) have been good. Everybody else has just been OK or needs to be better. It affects our pitching in a very real way."
Even by conventional measures, the Indians pitching staff has been mediocre at best. At the start of play yesterday, the Indians ranked 10 th in the 14-team AL in ERA and opponents’ batting average.
Shapiro said his two main areas of concern are the Tribe’s struggles defensively and with fundamentals, such as baserunning.
"Those are the two things that are consistently wrong," he said. "They are things we did well last year, things we have to do well to win, the way this team is built."
Shapiro said he is "confident with what’s being done" to improve in both areas. Manager Eric Wedge said coaches are working with players on a daily basis.
"Maybe it’s a conversation here or there. Maybe it’s early work. Maybe it’s a situation here or there," Wedge said. "We don’t take this lightly."
Eventually there could be roster changes, but Shapiro said none are imminent. "If it was only one player, we could look to address it," he said. "But it’s not."
A quick healer

One day after falling headfirst into a camera pit, third baseman Aaron Boone was back in the lineup, with only bumps and bruises on his left shoulder and the left side of his head. He said he felt good enough Monday night that he celebrated Memorial Day by grilling a steak.
"I wouldn’t be out there if I didn’t think I was able to play," he said. "I feel pretty good. My body is a little sore."
Boone chased a foul popup off the bat of Juan Uribe in the third inning. He leaned over a railing in an attempt to catch the ball, and his momentum carried him too far. He tried to hold on but fell headfirst onto the cement floor.
"I remember the ‘Oh (shoot)’ point," he said with a laugh. "That was a little scary: ‘I don’t have my hands here, because they’re gone.’ Then it’s a little hazy."
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[JCOSU86]

Sauerbeck and Lilly Miller, 28, were arrested by Sheffield Village police about 4 a.m. He was charged with obstructing official business and wrongful entrustment (letting an intoxicated person drive his car).
She was charged with DUI after tests showed her blood-alcohol level at .253 (the legal limit in Ohio is .08).

Isn't that close to alcohol poisoning?

According to the Associated Press account, police noticed a car being driven erratically at 3:45 a.m. Miller pulled into a residential driveway, and both occupants of the 1966 Lincoln Continental walked into the backyard, jumping a fence.
Occupants of the house heard voices and called police, who already were in the area. Officers found Sauerbeck and Miller hiding in the bushes.

Thank God that Sauerbeck is single....

Sauerbeck, his wife and two children live in West Bradenton, Fla.

Oops...
:2004:
Does anyone else find this as funny as I do?

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

6/1/06

Pitching bringing Indians to life

Westbrook allows just six hits in seven innings in Tribe's shutout win

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - You can't count on anything, these days.
Just when it seemed that the Indians were dead in the water, up a creek without a paddle, drowning in a sea of their own blunders, they have come up for air.
For the past two nights, they have sucked the oxygen out of the air breathed by the Chicago White Sox, who lost 5-0 Wednesday night at Jacobs Field.
The Tribe has won three out of four, and the reason -- there's only one -- is clear: pitching, particularly starting pitching.
First, it was Jason Johnson holding Detroit scoreless for six innings on Sunday. After a clinker by Cliff Lee, C.C. Sabathia stymied the White Sox on Tuesday night.
Wednesday, it was Jake Westbrook holding the Sox scoreless for seven innings. In giving up five singles and one double, walking none and striking out two, he performed like the guy who was expected to be a rock of the rotation.
``That's what these guys need, to find a way to feed off each other and have that friendly competition,'' manager Eric Wedge said. ``That's where this game starts.''
Westbrook (5-3 5.00 ERA) has been one of the more inconsistent pitchers on the staff.
In his last start, he was shelled for seven runs in 5 1/3 innings by the Tigers. The start before that, he delivered a complete-game shutout against Kansas City, but one start earlier, the same pathetic Royals smoked him for eight runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Over the past couple of years, Westbrook's bad streaks appear to have a common thread.
``For me, yeah,'' he said. ``I get behind, elevate the sinker, don't mix up my pitches very well. That's when I usually struggle.''
Wedge might have put his finger on Westbrook's problems when he said, ``I think sometimes Jake gives the other guy too much credit.''
There are no assurances that Westbrook has turned some sort of corner. But maybe he has. Westbrook was able to keep the ball on the ground. When he does that, you know he is on his game.
Of 21 outs he recorded, 14 came on infield bouncers. Only four were fly balls to the outfield.
``I'm thinking that Jake is going to settle in,'' Wedge said. ``He always seems to figure it out. So I think when all is said and done, he'll have the kind of year we believe he should have.''
Except for Grady Sizemore, who is carrying the team, Indians batsmen struggled against Freddy Garcia (7-3, 4.57 ERA). But they also were like relentless inmates trying to dig their way out of Alcatraz with sharp spoons. Finally, the wall gave way, albeit a cup of concrete at a time.
Sizemore, on the other hand, seemed to have a more efficient weapon in his hand than a sharp spoon. He whacked a triple and two singles, scored two runs, drove in two and stole a base.
``Grady has had a lot of big hits for us,'' Wedge said. ``He's pretty much been in on everything we're doing.''
Despite the spark provided by Sizemore, the offense made progress by inches.
Ben Broussard smacked a two-out solo homer in the second inning to give Westbrook a lead. One inning later, Sizemore started a two-out rally with a single and scored on Jason Michaels' double.
``That home run was big for me,'' Broussard said. ``I needed to get a hit there, at least make contact. Baseball is such an extreme game. The day before (Monday), I struck out four times.''
Broussard said he felt his swing gradually come back to him Tuesday night, but he still didn't get any hits.
``I freaked out and tried to change something,'' said Broussard, whose freaking out session ended well before game time Wednesday.
The Tribe had another chance in the fifth, when Travis Hafner led off with a double and took third on Victor Martinez's right-side ground out. But nobody could bring Hafner to the plate.
Aaron Boone led off the fifth with a single, moved to second on Lou Merloni's sacrifice bunt and scored on Sizemore's single. But even a 3-0 lead hardly looked secure.
Finally, in the seventh, Merloni beat out an infield single, and pinch runner Ronnie Belliard scored on Sizemore's triple. Michaels then bounced a hit off the pitcher to score Sizemore.
Even though the Tribe lost three out of four through Saturday to fall two games below .500, Sizemore didn't think the team overreacted.
``We're not thinking that every game is life and death this time of year,'' he said. ``You might feel that way after a tough loss, but you have to put that aside.''
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

6/1/06

Tribe better vs. left-handers

Indians' performance improves from last year

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - There's plenty for Indians fans to complain about, but the Tribe has demonstrated improvement in certain areas.
For example, the Tribe has been significantly more productive against left-handed pitchers.
In the first 51 games, the Indians are batting .282 against lefties, compared with .255 in 2005. The club's record when a left-hander starts also has been on the rise, from 52 percent (26-24) last year to 58.3 percent (14-10) this season.
Left-handed batters are supposed to be at a handicap against lefty pitchers, but Travis Hafner has shown marked improvement. He carries a .318 average with seven home runs in 85 at-bats against lefties, compared with a .269 average and seven homers in 156 at-bats in 2005.
``We're seeing so many left-handers this year,'' hitting coach Derek Shelton said Wednesday. ``I think that's the biggest thing. Guys (lefty- hitters) are more comfortable against them.''
Shelton pointed out that eight out of 20 starters among the Tribe's Central Division rivals are left-handed, and the Indians have played 31 games against Detroit, Chicago, Minnesota and Kansas City.
Said Shelton: ``After facing a left-hander (Mark Buerhle) on Opening Day, we didn't face another for five days. Since then we haven't gone more than three days without facing a lefty.
``We're getting into a stretch now where we're going to see a lot of right-handers.''
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

6/1/06

INDIANS NOTEBOOK

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - Wickman has longest
active streak in majors
Closer Bob Wickman has succeeded in his past 24 save opportunities, which ranks as the longest active streak in the major leagues.
``Bob is very confident in his approach,'' manager Eric Wedge said. ``He's been steady and consistent.''
Wickman has his own way of going about his job, and he sticks with it.
``He's very confident in his approach,'' Wedge said. ``He's strong-minded with what he wants to do, and he doesn't worry about it.''
Others on the active save streak list:
Eric Gagne (18), Jonathan Papelbon (18), Chris Ray (14), Joe Nathan (14), Trevor Hoffman (12), Jason Isringhausen (11), Mike Gonzalez (10), Todd Jones (10) and Mariano Rivera (10).
FATIGUE FACTOR -- How often should a player be rested? It depends on lots of factors, but some fans and members of the media have criticized Wedge for failing to give his regulars enough time off.
In the first two months of the season, the Indians have had seven off days and have played no more than 15 days in a row (also with a 13-day stretch).
``Everybody makes a big deal about time off,'' Wedge said. ``But you also want to put your best team on the field. We utilize off days -- we had two last week -- and on the average, we've had one off day about every seven to 10 days.''
Wedge also pointed out that players almost never ask for the day off.
``I don't think anybody in there (clubhouse) wants a day off,'' he said.
MILESTONE -- Wedge won his 267th game as the Tribe's manager Wednesday night, making him ninth on the franchise's all-time list. Lou Boudreau is first with 728 wins.
``Somebody said something to me about that,'' Wedge said. ``But I don't think much about those things.''
FARM FACTS -- Andy Marte got two hits to raise his average to .251 in Buffalo's 3-2 loss to Columbus in Class AAA.... Carlton Smith yielded only one unearned run and two hits in six innings, but Lake County lost a 2-1 decision to Greensboro in Class A.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

6/1/06

TRIBAL WRITES: Just routine for Wickman

Thursday, June 1, 2006

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CLEVELAND - Bob Wickman does things the same way every time.
The veteran Indians closer has found that consistency in how he approaches both games and the workouts between them has resulted in his results looking pretty much the same way every time — another save opportunity converted.
“It seems boring, but it’s my job,” Wickman said Wednesday when asked to describe his ability to stay sharp even when his workload is irregular. “It’s serious business. It’s what I get paid to do. It’s also the toughest thing for a young guy to learn.
“I stick to my routine so, if I get blasted, I know I did everything I possibly could.”
Wickman hasn’t gotten blasted in quite some time. He made good on a save chance for the 24th consecutive time Tuesday when he pitched the ninth inning of Cleveland’s 4-3 victory over Chicago at Jacobs Field.
That string is the longest of any active big-league closer. Boston’s Jonathan Papelbon and Eric Gagne of the Los Angeles Dodgers had both converted 18 in a row through Tuesday, according to Stats Inc.
Wickman is Cleveland’s all-time saves leader (132). He was 1-0 with a 2.40 ERA and a .216 opponents’ batting average entering Wednesday’s game against Chicago. His string of successful saves, which began last Aug. 6, is the third-longest in club history.
He hadn’t pitched in a save situation since May 18 when called upon Tuesday night. Wickman walked leadoff man Scott Podsednik, but retired the next three White Sox to end the game.
Wickman said he doesn’t feel the need to throw to hitters between save situations to stay sharp.
“If I have good enough control and good enough action on my breaking ball to throw it to a certain spot while I’m in the bullpen, then I can do it in a game,” Wickman said. “I don’t throw just to throw. I’m throwing to the glove every time.”
Manager Eric Wedge is among those who appreciate Wickman’s consistency, both in his work habits and in his results.
“He has the ability to get things done in the bullpen because he has tremendous focus,” Wedge said. “He has a very confident approach. He’s strong-minded. He doesn’t worry about (irregular work). He does his thing and expects good things to happen.”

C.C. OWNS SOX C.C. Sabathia is 10-3 against the Chicago White Sox in his career. That .769 percentage is the highest by a Cleveland pitcher against the ChiSox since Wes Ferrell went 17-5 (.773) from 1929-33.
THE TOP 10 Wedge’s 266th victory Tuesday moved him into a tie with Alvin Dark for 10th place on the club’s all-time win list. “Somebody said something to me about it, but I don’t think much of those things,” Wedge said.
WE WANT MORE Wedge said second baseman Ronnie Belliard has been “a little inconsistent” this season. “He needs to come to the ballpark and play the way he’s capable of playing in terms of his passion for the game,” Wedge said.
RETURN OF J-MIKE Jason Michaels hit .245 in April, but was batting .326 in May through Tuesday. “We didn’t expect it to be gangbusters for Jason right away,” Wedge said. “We expected a learning curve from him. Early on, he was trying to do too much, trying to let everybody see what he’s capable of doing.”
FUNNY STUFF A message board in the Indians clubhouse Wednesday advised the players that infield practice was to begin at 6:15 p.m. Casey Blake erased the words “infield practice” and replaced them with “gun show.”
ON THE FARM Class A Kinston third baseman Matt Whitney walked, doubled, homered and drove in two runs Wednesday during a 7-2 win over Wilmington. The 2002 first-round draft pick is hitting .227 with six homers and 21 RBIs in 37 games.
Reach Repository sports writer Andy Call at (330) 580-8346 or e-mail: [email protected]


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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

6/1/06

INDIANS INSIDER
Tribe looks to erase poor fielding spell


Thursday, June 01, 2006

Paul Hoynes
Plain Dealer Reporter

The Indians, just like Tuesday, entered Wednesday's game against Chicago with the most errors and worst fielding percentage in the American League.

General Manager Mark Shapiro said Tuesday he was disappointed in the play of seven of the Tribe's nine regular defenders. Outfielders Grady Sizemore and Casey Blake were the only ones to escape criticism.

Ben Broussard, the left-handed side of manager Eric Wedge's first-base platoon, didn't know the Indians were last in errors.

"It seems like we've had a lot of weird hops," Broussard said. "The last time Chicago was in town, I made a perfect throw to second base on a double play. At the last moment, Scott Podsednik threw up his hand when he was sliding and the ball hit his hand for an error."

Broussard went into Wednesday's game with three errors. He said that's usually how many he has at the All-Star break.

"Overall, we have a good defensive team," Broussard said. "Fielding is like hitting, you go through spells."

When told of Shapiro's comments, third baseman Aaron Boone said, "I think that's fair."

Boone leads the Indians with eight errors. He's followed by shortstop Jhonny Peralta with six; catcher Victor Martinez, five; second baseman Ronnie Belliard, four; first baseman Eduardo Perez, two; Sizemore, two; Blake, one; and Todd Hollandsworth, one.

Tribe pitchers have made seven errors, including two each by Paul Byrd and departed Brian Slocum.

"We just need to play better," Boone said. "We're capable of playing better."

Boone said errors - the Indians had 39 in 51 games - aren't always indicative of a team's defensive worth.

"That being said, we need to be better," Boone said.

Man behind the mask:

Martinez's inability to throw out base runners hasn't helped a shaky defense. He's 3-for-40 throwing out base stealers.

It also might be playing a part in Martinez's slump. After hitting .398 (37-for-93) in April, Martinez is hitting .170 (15-for-88) in May.

"As a baseball player, you're always looking at your overall game," Wedge said. "You work hard not to let one area affect the other. But like all of us, Vic is human. You get frustrated."

Wedge said Martinez has been overaggressive at the plate.

"In April, he used the whole field and didn't try to do too much," Wedge said.

Nice play:

Broussard made the play of the game Tuesday in the ninth inning of a 4-3 victory. After entering the game as a defensive replacement in the eighth, he scooped Alex Cintron's bouncer between first and second on the run and threw to second to force Podsednik.

Court date:

Left-hander Scott Sauerbeck and Lily Miller, arrested at 5 a.m. Tuesday while hiding in the bushes of a Sheffield Village back yard, are scheduled to be arraigned today in Avon Lake Municipal Court.

Miller, who was driving the 1966 Lincoln convertible the couple abandoned after pulling into a driveway on Abbe Road, was charged with obstruction of official business and driving while intoxicated. Sauerbeck was charged with obstructing official business and wrongful entrustment.

The charges each carry a fine of up to $1,000 and six months in jail.

Take a break:

Lou Merloni started at second base Wednesday. Wedge said he wanted to give Belliard a break.

"When you're not going good, you're not going good," Belliard said. "All you can do is keep working hard."

Belliard is hitting .268 with two homers and 18 RBI. His first two months of the season have matched the Indians performance - unspectacular.

"We're not out of nothing right now," he said. "All we have to do is keep playing and let things happen by themselves."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

[email protected], 216-999-5158

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

6/1/06

INDIANS NOTEBOOK

Lee works on not tipping his glove hand

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Scott Priestle
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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CLEVELAND — Cliff Lee went through his normal betweenstarts bullpen session yesterday, with more urgency than normal but a hint of optimism. The urgency comes from his recent struggles. The optimism came from Indians pitching coach Carl Willis and bullpen coach Luis Isaac.
In studying video of Lee’s previous starts, they noticed "a few little things" in the way Lee held his glove that might have tipped off what pitch was coming, Isaac said. Lee used the bullpen session to work on holding his glove the same way on every pitch.
"I think my pitches have been there, so there has to be something to it," Lee said. "Either I’m having really bad luck, or they knew my pitches."
He is 1-4 with a 7.79 ERA in his past six starts. After he allowed seven runs to the Chicago White Sox in 2 2 /3 innings Monday, he wondered aloud if the hitters knew what pitch he was going to throw.
Neither Lee nor Isaac would elaborate on what they worked on yesterday, other than to say it involved the way Lee held his glove.
"Any time you have little things that are an advantage for the hitter, it can be a real help for them," Isaac said.
Lee said, "Everything has to look the same. If there is something a little different, it’s something I need to be aware of."
Keeping busy

Entering last night, Bob Wickman had converted his past 24 save opportunities. According to research by Stats, Inc., it is the longest active streak in the major leagues. Eric Gagne of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Jonathan Papelbon of the Boston Red Sox were next with 18 straight.
Wickman has carried the streak through the first two months of this season despite appearing in fewer games than any other closer in the American League. He has frequently warmed up but not gotten into the game. Some pitchers consider such days a nuisance; Wickman considers them valuable.
"I have good enough control, good enough action on my breaking ball to throw to certain spots in the bullpen and know I can do it in the game," he said. "I don’t throw just to throw. I’m throwing to the glove every time."
Down on the farm

Center fielder Trevor Crowe, the Indians’ first-round draft pick last season, is hitting .303 with a .418 on-base percentage and 21 stolen bases for high-A Kinston. … Kinston left-hander Scott Lewis leads all minor leaguers with a 0.44 ERA, and teammate Chuck Lofgren is tied for the minor-league lead with eight wins. Double-A third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff leads all minor-league hitters with a .410 average.
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

6/2/06

Win a collective effort

Belliard, Broussard, Michaels blast home runs in seesaw game; Byrd recovers from rough start

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - There have been questions about Ronnie Belliard this year, as in, ``Where have you been?''
The answer, at least Thursday night, was, ``Right where he was supposed to be,'' as the Indians beat the Chicago White Sox 12-8 to win the last three of the four-game series at Jacobs Field.
Belliard's three-run homer in the seventh inning put the Tribe ahead 10-8, after neither team was able to hold a lead.
``You can't point to any one guy,'' Indians manager Eric Wedge said.
``When we're at our best, we feed off each other. That's what we did tonight.''
The White Sox jumped to a 5-2 lead in the middle of the third inning against Paul Byrd, but a five-run sixth put the Tribe back in front 7-5.
Unfortunately for the home forces, an egg timer could have been used to measure how quickly the lead was lost.
Scott Sauerbeck got two quick outs in the seventh but walked the next two batters, bringing on Fernando Cabrera. His second pitch to Jermaine Dye ended up beyond the left-field fence for a three-run homer -- Dye's second of the night -- to give the White Sox an 8-7 advantage.
``It was back and forth,'' said Jason Michaels, who hit an important home run for the Tribe. ``Just a crazy game. I was just sitting here at my locker drained.''
It's a credit to the Indians that they didn't lose their determination after falling behind again.
``I think this was the biggest win of the year,'' said Byrd, who did not have one of his better starts. ``We can take that and run with it. We could have been satisfied getting a split with these guys, but that's not the way we approached it.''
By the seventh inning, White Sox starter Jose Contreras was long gone, a victim of six runs, eight hits and four walks in five innings, far from the standards he had established with a 5-0 record and 1.83 ERA coming into the game.
When Belliard stepped to the plate in the seventh, he already had doubled twice, driven in a run and scored another.
After the count reached 1-and-2, he fouled off several of Brandon McCarthy's pitches before taking a healthy swing at an off-speed pitch, the ball clearing the fence in left for Belliard's third home run of the season.
``I think he threw a change-up that hung, and I just got lucky,'' Belliard said. ``I was trying to get a hit, and the ball went over the fence.''
Said Wedge: ``That probably was the best at-bat I've seen all year, and it came in a clutch situation.''
Belliard isn't having a horrid season, but he doesn't seem to have the energy and vitality as he has had the past two seasons, but maybe that's about to change.
``I come to the park early every day and work in the cage,'' he said. ``My first two years here, I had an unbelievable April and May.''
In addition to Belliard, Ben Broussard had a monster game, collecting three singles and a solo homer in the eighth to expand the lead to four runs. He drove in two runs and scored twice.
``When Ben hit that home run, we were able to relax a little,'' Belliard said. ``We could go to the ninth and shut the door.''
Michaels brought the Tribe back the first time, when he hit a two-run homer in the sixth to give the Indians their short-lived 7-5 advantage.
``So many people stepped up for us, both on the mound and at the plate,'' Wedge said.
It has been a while since Byrd had a game in which his control made him vulnerable to the walk, and when he did throw the ball over the plate, it got hit hard.
That is not the kind of dilemma apt to lengthen a starter's career. Giving up five runs, four hits -- including two doubles and a homer -- and a season-high four walks is not what Byrd would describe as effective pitching.
But considering the way he began, nobody would have given him much of a chance to come out for the fourth inning much less last through the sixth.
He limited the damage to one run in the first, despite walking the first batter of the game, Scott Podsednik, and giving up a double to the No. 2 hitter, Tadahito Iguchi.
Byrd walked the first two batters in the third, setting up Jim Thome's two-run double and Dye's two-run homer.
At that point came Byrd's transformation back to dependability, as he retired 12 of the last 13 batters he faced.
``Sometimes, it's like I have a multiple personality,'' Byrd said. ``Some guy will run out there and have no control, then another pitcher goes out and shuts the team down for three innings.''
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