Indians Tidbits (2006 season)..

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

6/2/06

Indians notebook

Tribe ready to take some risks in draft

Lack of first-round pick this year leads to more aggressive strategy

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - Scouting director John Mirabelli said the Indians would be more aggressive in this year's draft because they don't have a first-round pick.
``We're prepared to take some risks and approach things aggressively,'' he said of the draft, set for Tuesday and Wednesday. ``Even without a pick in the first round, we want to try and get some upside, one way or another.''
Risk-taking, in Mirabelli's world, means that he is more likely to take a high school player with his first selection, the 39th overall, which is a sandwich pick between the first and second rounds awarded to the Tribe for losing Bob Howry in free agency.
Mirabelli also is prepared to draft a top-ranked player who has fallen because of signability issues.
``We've taken note of those guys,'' Mirabelli said. ``We are prepared to make that decision on draft day if it happens.''
Mirabelli and his lieutenants have scouted even the best of this year's crop of players, just in case. And the team's budget has some air in it.
``We have a very aggressive budget for a team that doesn't pick until No. 39,'' Mirabelli said. ``If we have to step up and go out of our box a little, we'll do it.''
That said, this is not regarded as a draft likely to produce many superstars, if any. The depth of talent is believed to be collegiate and high school pitchers.
If the Indians had to pick a draft to be without a first-round choice (given up for signing free agent Paul Byrd), this would be the one.
``If I was going to spin the positive side of it,'' Mirabelli said, ``our first pick might be as good as a team in the top 15.''
The Tribe has five selections among the first 75, including Nos. 56, 57, 69 and 75.
``There's value in the second round and depth,'' Mirabelli said. ``There might not be a lot of All-Stars and high impact guys in this draft, but there are players who can help the Cleveland Indians win a championship.''
Local phenoms
Mirabelli said there are ``four or five local and state'' players likely to be picked in the first five rounds of the draft.
Asked about Walsh Jesuit pitcher Chad Rogers, Mirabelli said, ``He's another guy we've seen and we like. So do 29 other clubs. How much you like him and the others is your personal preference.''
Serious praise
Fausto Carmona is rounding into one of the more reliable relievers in the bullpen, despite his inexperience.
He worked the last inning of the Tribe's 5-0 win Wednesday night, striking out two and giving up a double.
``It was good for him to be out there in the ninth inning and good for him to finish a game,'' manager Eric Wedge said.
Carmona was a career starter in the minors and was thought to be a bullpen operative temporarily. But he has adapted so well to relief work, there might be a change of heart.
``Depending on who you talk to organizationally,'' Wedge said, ``some people think he should start, and others think he should stay in the bullpen. Right now, he's there out of need.''
The difference
The entire team seems to play better when the starting pitching is effective. That certainly was true of the second and third games against the White Sox.
``The better the starting pitching, the more life you have as a club,'' Wedge said. ``Hopefully that dominoes to everybody else.''
Farm facts
Joe Ness (5-0, 2.15 ERA) gave up one run and four hits in 5 1/3 innings, as Kinston beat Wilmington 7-2 in Class A. Brian Barton had two hits and two RBI.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

6/2/06

Waiting around for the draft

Friday, June 2, 2006

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CLEVELAND John Mirabelli is ready to roll the dice.
The Indians scouting director said Thursday he will take more risks than normal during the annual June draft that takes place Tuesday and Wednesday.
“The value we get in the second round might be higher than in the top 15 picks,” Mirabelli said. “We are prepared to take some risks in this draft. We want to remain aggressive.”
The Tribe does not have a first-round pick in this year’s draft — theirs going as compensation to the Angels for having signed Paul Byrd — but Cleveland does have picks Nos. 39, 56, 57, 69 and 75 in the supplementary first round through the supplementary second round. Four of those five picks came to Cleveland as compensation for having lost Bobby Howry, Kevin Millwood and Scott Elarton.
“There are not a lot of high-end impact guys in this draft, but that doesn’t affect us at No. 39,” Mirabelli said. “There is depth in the pitching, both in high school and in college.”
Mirabelli said the Indians will try to strengthen two areas of organizational weakness — middle infield and catching — but that doesn’t preclude them gathering a fistful of pitchers with those top five picks. He also said the team should have enough money set aside to sign those players.
“We have a very, very aggressive budget for a team that doesn’t pick until No. 39,” Mirabelli said. “We’re prepared to take the best available player when No. 39 rolls around.”
The Indians recently signed a player they drafted in the 20th round last year, right-hander Scott Sumner of Louisiana College. Mirabelli said no other draft-and-follows or fifth-year seniors will be signed by the Tribe before Tuesday.

SAUERBECK ENTERS PLEA Left-hander Scott Sauerbeck pleaded innocent Thursday in Avon Lake Municipal Court to charges of obstructing official business and permitting an intoxicated person to drive his car. A pretrial hearing over the early Tuesday morning incident is June 22. The trial is scheduled for July 11.
MY CARMONA Rookie right-hander Fausto Carmona has not allowed a run in his last 52/3 innings, including a scoreless ninth inning Wednesday. “He showed some resolve, and his stuff was very good,” Manager Eric Wedge said. “It was a very positive step for him.”
GET GASSED Giant Eagle is giving away gas for a year at all three games this weekend against the Angels. Fans who purchase tickets online and enter the passcode “GAS” will receive a $3 per ticket discount as well. ON THE FARM Double-A Akron third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff led all minor-league hitters in batting average — by 35 points — through Wednesday. Kouzmanoff improved his season average to .420 by going 3-for-4 in a 12-4 victory over Altoona. He has 32 RBIs in 39 games and leads the Eastern League in hits, on-base percentage (.459), slugging percentage (.650) and batting average. The Indians picked the former Nevada standout in the sixth round in 2003. Reach Repository sports writer Andy Call at (330) 580-8346 or e-mail: [email protected]


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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

6/2/06

INDIANS 12 WHITE SOX 8

Belliard puts charge into Indians

Friday, June 02, 2006

Scott Priestle
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>TONY DEJAK ASSOCIATED PRESS </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Cleveland’s Ben Broussard, left, congratulates Ronnie Belliard after Belliard’s three-run homer in the seventh inning. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


CLEVELAND — Indians second baseman Ronnie Belliard ranged up the middle to snare a grounder, then made an offbalance throw to nail the runner. He charged and scooped another grounder, then flipped the ball directly from his glove to get the out.

He singled home a run and scampered
around the bases to score another.

Belliard, who was an emotional spark for the Indians the previous two seasons, played with a verve last night that has been missing for most of this season.

When that was not enough, he delivered a more-direct jolt — a three-run homer off White Sox reliever Brandon McCarthy that led the Indians to a wild 12-8 win.

The Indians were down a run in the seventh inning and Belliard was down in the count, 1 and 2. He fouled off five straight pitches before the hard-throwing McCarthy tried to mix in an off-speed pitch. Belliard lined it into a sea of fans in left field, giving the Indians a 10-8 lead.

They tacked on two more runs for their third straight win and fourth in five games.

"It was an exciting game for everybody," Belliard said. "We always stick our noses in there and have fun with it. We always come back. This is a game this team needs to keep going."

Jason Michaels and Ben Broussard also homered for the Indians. Broussard saw only six pitches in five plate appearances and hit three singles, a homer and a hard line drive to the left fielder. He was locked in.

So was Jermaine Dye, who hit two home runs and drove in five runs for the White Sox. With players on both teams teeing off, there were six lead changes, capped by Belliard’s entertaining battle with McCarthy.

Indians manager Eric Wedge called that at-bat "probably the best at-bat we’ve seen all year long, in one of the most clutch situations we’ve had."

Belliard fouled off fastballs and breaking balls before ripping a change-up.

"Awesome," Michaels said. "He was fighting, fouling pitches off. You just feel it as a teammate."

Belliard said, "He threw me some good pitches. I just wanted to get a hit. Just give me something."

Twenty minutes after the game, Michaels sat at his locker with a look of exhaustion on his face.

"I was just sitting here thinking, that was emotionally draining, back-and-forth, exciting," he said. "I’m glad we came out on top."

The Indians chased red-hot White Sox starter Jose Contreras with a four-run sixth, highlighted by Michaels’ home run. They took a 7-5 lead.

Scott Sauerbeck then retired the first two batters in the top of the seventh before Tadahito Iguchi worked a walk, barely fouling off two two-strike pitches to keep the inning alive. Sauerbeck then walked Jim Thome on four pitches. Fernando Cabrera relieved Sauerbeck, and Dye lined his second pitch into the left-field bleachers for a three-run homer and an 8-7 lead.

It did not last long, as Victor Martinez and Broussard reached base to begin the bottom of the inning. One out later, Belliard put the Indians ahead for good.

"We can really feed off his energy out there," Wedge said. "You saw it at the end of last year. You saw it tonight. It was a great effort by Ronnie all the way around tonight."

[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

6/2/06

INDIANS NOTEBOOK

Indians have a long wait before making draft pick

Friday, June 02, 2006

Scott Priestle
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>JEFF GLIDDEN ASSOCIATED PRESS </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Indians shortstop Jhonny Peralta boots a ball hit by Joe Crede of the White Sox in the second inning. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


CLEVELAND — The Indians will not have a first-round pick in the draft next week, having lost it to the Los Angeles Angels as compensation for signing free-agent pitcher Paul Byrd. But they will have five picks between Nos. 39 and 75 as compensation for losing three freeagent pitchers.

"We are prepared to take some risks in the draft," scouting director John Mirabelli said.

"You could say our approach is pretty aggressive. We’re going to try to get some upside out of this draft one way or another."

Even if that means handing out a multimillion dollar signing bonus to a player who slides because other teams aren’t willing to meet his demands. A few players fall in the draft every year. The Tribe got Jeremy Guthrie late in the first round of the 2002 draft that way.

With that in mind, Mirabelli said, the Indians scouted all of the top prospects. He said ownership has approved "a very, very aggressive budget for a team that doesn’t pick until 39."

The strategy also means that the Indians are more likely to take a flier on a talented-butraw high-school player this season than in previous years.

They would like to address a shortage of middle infielders and catchers, although this draft is considered weaker than recent seasons, particularly among position players.

If a team such as the Indians has an advantage, it’s that the drop-off in talent from pick No. 25 to No. 50 should not be as great as the drop-off in signing bonuses from 25 to 50.

"There is value in the second round," Mirabelli said.
Sauerbeck enters plea



Scott Sauerbeck pleaded not guilty to charges of obstructing official business and allowing an intoxicated person to drive his vehicle. His trial is set for July 11 in Avon Lake Municipal Court.

Sauerbeck and a female companion were arrested early Tuesday morning in the Cleveland suburb of Sheffield Lake after allegedly trying to flee from police by pulling into a driveway and hiding in bushes nearby.

Sauerbeck was a passenger in his car, driven by Lily Miller of Lakewood. She was charged with DUI and obstructing official business, and she also pleaded not guilty.
Facing the Rocket



Roger Clemens’ return to the major leagues will begin against Tribe minor leaguers when he pitches for low-Class A Lexington against Lake County on Tuesday. Clemens is opening with Lexington because his son, Koby, is a catcher/third baseman for the Legends.

The top position-player prospect at Lake County is outfielder John Drennan, who is hitting .299.

[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

6/2/06

INDIANS INSIDER
Michaels making most of chance to play daily


Friday, June 02, 2006

Burt Graeff
Plain Dealer Reporter

For four years, Jason Michaels was a platoon player in the Philadelphia Phillies outfield. He said little, instead waiting for the opportunity to play on a daily basis.

"I knew I could play every day," Michaels said. "Not getting the opportunity fueled my fire."

The opportunity to play every day occurred on Jan. 27. Within hours, Coco Crisp was sent to the Boston Red Sox and Michaels was acquired from the Phillies.

Crisp's departure opened up left field to Michaels.

After a slow start, Michaels has seized the opportunity and run with it. "He believes he's an everyday guy," said manager Eric Wedge, "and he's playing like it."

Michaels, looking like he was feeling his way around, hit .245 (23-of-94) with no home runs and six RBI in April. The numbers jumped to a team-high .330 (33-of-100) with two home runs and 15 RBI in May.

"The whole thing is a process," Michaels said. "There is a comfort factor involved. Not only was I playing every day here, I was playing in a new league.

"I was trying to get familiar with everything."

Michaels, 30, a fourth-round pick by the Phillies in 1998, said he's his own worst critic.

"I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself," he said. "Sometimes too much pressure. I felt for a long time that at some point I'd get the chance to play every day. I've gotten it and now I have to take advantage of it."

Michaels is on a hot streak as his sixth-inning home run Thursday gave him a 10-game hitting streak.

Making his pitch:

It's no accident that the Tribe bullpen is showing signs of settling down since the return of right-hander Rafael Betancourt off the disabled list on May 15.

In seven appearances since returning, Betancourt has pitched seven scoreless innings - allowing three hits and striking out six.

"Just as C.C. [Sabathia] coming back gave the starting rotation a big lift, the return of Rafael has given us a big lift in the bullpen," Wedge said.

"[Betancourt] has shown some resilience. His stuff has been very impressive."

Betancourt, who was sidelined with a strained upper-back muscle, said he's feeling strong enough to work three straight days. "I'm healthy," he said.

"When you're healthy, you have confidence.

"I am at my best when I'm throwing 92-94 [mph] and spotting the ball.

That's what I'm doing now."

Fired up:

White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski said there was good reason to try to gain a series split after the Indians took two of the first three games. "The last thing we wanted to do in this series," he said after the Tribe's 5-0 victory on Wednesday night, "was come in and not play well, give them life.

"Anytime you have their lineup and the potential the starting pitching staff has, you're going to be a threat. Until they are dead and eliminated, you have to worry that they are going to make a run."

Draft time:

The first-year player draft takes place on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the Tribe not owning a first-round pick. It was lost to the Angels when Paul Byrd was signed to a free-agent contract.

The Indians' first pick is the 39th overall. They have five of the first 75 selections. "It is very difficult to forecast who will be there," said director of scouting John Mirabelli, "because our initial pick is the 39th, but there is value in the second round."

Mirabelli said the strength of this draft is in the high school and college pitching.

Finally:

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen gave team captain Paul Konerko the night off on Thursday. Konerko was 2-of-12 in the first three games of the series. "It was a good chance to get him some mental rest," Guillen said. "He needed it." . . . An apparent steal of third base by Chicago's Scott Podsednik in the third inning was called back by home-plate umpire Joe West. West said he interfered with Tribe catcher Victor Martinez on the play.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
[email protected], 216-999-4655

 

[exhawg]

Time to jump back on the bandwagon. :p Hopefully this next week or 2 stretch will bring the Tigers back down to how we all know they will finish the season and tighten up the Central. The biggest bright spot of the season so far for the Tribe is how they are playing against the Sox. Big change from last year.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

6/3/06

Johnson, Mota revert Indians to losing ways

Winning streak snapped as pitchers continue their struggles in loss to Angels

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - Guillermo Mota might not be having his finest season on the mound, but he's a good teammate.
Obviously taking note that Indians starter Jason Johnson wasn't having his best night, Mota gave up two booming home runs to take the spotlight off his lodge brother.
Working in a seamless tandem is the way teams succeed. But there was one problem at Jacobs Field Friday night: The Tribe lost 10-3 to the Los Angeles Angels, despite the smooth transition from Johnson to Mota.
Johnson has been under fire for much of the season, but in his last start he held the Detroit Tigers scoreless for six innings, raising hopes among the Indians that he was about to turn the corner.
No such luck.
Johnson's line didn't appear to be all that bad: five innings pitched, four earned runs, three hits, four walks and four strikeouts.
Manager Eric Wedge certainly didn't act as if Johnson pitched the team to defeat.
``Jason was a little out of whack for a couple of innings, but he did a good job fixing it out,'' said Wedge, pretending his head was buried in the sand.
``If he couples his last start with those last three innings, he has something to work off of.''
The rationalizations are getting to be more difficult when the manager is forced to piece together innings from two or more starts to find a positive hook on which to hang his hat.
Yet, how can giving up three hits in five innings qualify as less than stellar? Here's how.
Johnson (3-5, 5.92 ERA) walked the first batter of the game, Chone Figgins, who promptly stole second but made a base-running blunder and was tagged out at third on Orlando Cabrera's bouncer to short.
No matter. Johnson did not take advantage of that break. Instead, he served up Vladimir Guerrero's first career home run against the Indians to give the Angels a 2-0 lead.
The Angels made it 4-0 in the second, when Johnson walked two batters with one out, then yielded an RBI single to Adam Kennedy and a long sacrifice fly to Figgins.
``It was just one of those days,'' Johnson said.
Johnson settled down after that, but Wedge refused to press his luck and yanked him after the fifth, following his 95th pitch.
``I wanted to stay out there two or three more innings and keep our team in the game,'' Johnson said. ``I was really feeling good. I got on a roll with the three shutout innings, but Eric Wedge had other ideas.''
Since April 18, Johnson has only one win, a 1-5 record and 7.94 ERA. More important, the team's record during that span of eight starts is 2-6.
Johnson sees no reason why anyone is questioning his competence.
``I think you guys are the ones putting me under a microscope,'' he said, fingering the media. ``I just go out and pitch. I don't care what anybody else thinks.
``I've had some bad outings, but it's a long season. I'm not worried about it now. I think I know what I'm doing (wrong), and I'm going to take one start at a time.''
Johnson's departure set the stage for Mota to make an impact in the sixth, and he was more than up to the task.
The way rookie Jered Weaver was manhandling Tribe batsmen, four runs seemed like plenty for the Angels. But after Johnson left the game, his offense still had four at-bats left, so a rally would not have been impossible.
That's where Mota took the bull by the horns. In the sixth, he gave up a leadoff single to Kendry Morales and a one-out homer to Dallas McPherson. In the seventh, he issued a one-out walk, a single to Guerrero and a three-run blast to Garret Anderson to put the game out of reach.
Mota has pitched 23 1/3 innings this season, yet has allowed eight home runs, an average of one every 2.9 innings. Imagine, if you can, a starting pitcher doing that in a full season of 200 innings. The resulting total of 69 homers would smash the major-league record.
``We've got to help Guillermo get back on track,'' Wedge said. ``It's a long season. There are four months left. He's a proven big-league guy. So he has to dig in with us, and we have to dig in with him.''
Weaver (2-0, 1.35 ERA), the younger brother of Angels starter Jeff Weaver, was making the second start of his career. In his first, a win over the Baltimore Orioles, he delivered seven scoreless innings, allowing only three hits.
He almost matched that performance Friday night. After giving up two harmless singles through the sixth, Weaver yielded Casey Blake's one-out single and an RBI double by Ben Broussard.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

6/3/06

Indians notebook

Pitchers help slow down opposing base stealers

Efforts to keep runners at bay progressing; Tribe's record follows suit

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - It's only been two weeks, but the Indians' penchant for allowing opposing players to run wild on the bases has diminished.
In the season's first 39 games, through May 16, the Tribe was stung for 36 steals.In 14 games since, they have given up six steals.
Victor Martinez still isn't gunning out runners regularly, but he's thrown out two runners since May 16 and only nailed two before that. So has Martinez gotten more proficient, or is something else at work?
More than likely, Martinez hasn't changed, but the pitching staff has become more conscious of keeping runners close to give Martinez a chance and to kill the desire to steal.
``Lately, we're doing a better job controlling the running game,'' manager Eric Wedge said on Friday. ``We've been able to slow the game down. It's not like a night and day difference, but as a team we're making strides.''
Through May 16, Jason Johnson and Jake Westbrook each had allowed six steals on their watch. The other three Tribe starters had given up a total of six (Cliff Lee 3, Paul Byrd 2, C.C. Sabathia 1).
It is interesting to note that Fernando Cabrera had allowed five steals, even though as a reliever he had worked only 11 1/3 innings.
``Fernando is a young guy and a big guy,'' Wedge said. ``Those pitchers have to work a little harder.''
Heading into Friday night's game, Johnson had the steals-allowed lead with eight. Westbrook has given up six, Cabrera still is at five, and Byrd has four.
However, the two runners Martinez has thrown out since May 16 occurred while Byrd was pitching.
Does holding runners really affect the club's record? Over the first 39 games, the Indians were 18-21. Since Wedge began to emphasize holding runners, the team's record is 9-5.
Why not try it?
Tim Laker was behind the plate when Jason Johnson delivered six scoreless innings against the Detroit Tigers last weekend, and he caught Johnson again Friday night.
``This actually came together nicely,'' Wedge said. ``We have a day game tomorrow, so it works out well for Victor (Martinez).
``Tim did a good job with Jason last time, so let's see what happens. It's still more about Jason, but Laker is part of it too.''
The priorities
When scouting director John Mirabelli directs Tuesday's draft, he will seek the best player available with his first selection rather than try to fill a need.
The Tribe's first choice, the 39th overall, is a sandwich pick between the first and second rounds.
Mirabelli said the team's needs are a middle infielder and a catcher, but that wish list won't rule in the draft.
``This draft is thinner in position players than last year,'' he said. ``We're not going to (artificially) push a guy up to get a catcher or a middle infielder. But with five picks in the first 75, we should be able to address those kinds of goals.''
A character issue
Don't expect Mirabelli to draft players likely to become attitude problems in the clubhouse or cause embarrassment to the team off the field.
Every prospective draftee who piques the interest of Tribe scouts must take a written test and answer seven questions that reveal his makeup. If the player refuses, Mirabelli won't pick him.
Farm facts
Ramon Vazquez had three hits, including a home run, and three RBI in Buffalo's 15-0 rout of Durham in Class AAA. Ben Francisco also had three hits and three RBI, and Jason Dubois homered, singled and drove in five runs.... Matt Whitney had two doubles in Kinston's 6-2 win over Frederick in Class A.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

6/3/06

Hafner lends nickname to mezzanine

Saturday, June 3, 2006

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CLEVELAND T - he best unofficial estimates indicate that around 175 folks live in Travis Hafner’s hometown of Sykeston, N.D.
The Indians’ marketing department hopes Pronkville will soon become significantly more populated.
The team has decided to name Jacobs Field’s mezzanine section Pronkville, in honor of its designated hitter and his nickname, “Pronk.” Pronkville will officially open Wednesday. Fans who purchase tickets in the second deck in right field (sections 303 through 317) for Cleveland’s game against Oakland will receive free black T-shirts with gray “Pronkville” lettering and a gold No. 48 (Hafner’s jersey number) on the front.
Hafner isn’t one for self-promotion, but said he decided to go along with the idea.
“Actually, in the past, when there would be something like a jersey giveaway or a bobblehead night, I would get embarrassed,” Hafner said. “Now I’m fine with it. They mentioned it to me a few days ago and showed me a couple ideas for the T-shirts. Hopefully it’s something the fans will enjoy.
“We’ve been here three or four years now, and the fans are starting to be able to recognize us and relate to us.”
Hafner came into the weekend batting .304 with 14 home runs and 44 RBIs. He was leading the American League in walks (46) and was second in runs scored (47) and on-base percentage (.442).
Despite his accomplishments on the field, Hafner still spends nearly as much time talking about his unusual nickname as his hitting. “Pronk” came from former Indians utilityman Bill Selby, combining “project” and “donkey.”
“It was just something to mess around with, but I like it better than Travis,” Hafner said. “I was just a rookie and nobody knew my name then, anyway. I’m glad we didn’t settle on ‘Donkject.’ ”
The Indians are finding ways to promote their best players. Grady Sizemore’s sex appeal has helped sell hundreds of “Mrs. Sizemore” T-shirts. That wouldn’t work for Hafner — because there will really be a Mrs. Hafner after his planned November wedding.
“I did see some Hafner’s Honeys out there one night, sitting next to the Grady’s Ladies,” Hafner noted.

BRING ON THE ROCKET Single-A Lake County will provide the opposition for future Hall of Fame pitcher Roger Clemens on Tuesday in Lexington, Ky., when Clemens makes his first minor-league start before rejoining the Houston Astros. Lake County has a team batting average of .241 and 10 position players batting .239 or worse.
ABOUT LAST NIGHT Thursday’s third consecutive victory over Chicago after Monday’s 11-0 loss marked the first time in 18 years a team had won the last three games of a four-game series after being shut out by a double-digit margin in the opener, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The Indians duplicated the feat of the Cleveland team that won the last three against Boston in the final series of the 1988 regular season. ... Ronnie Belliard’s go-ahead home run after five foul balls was the first in a late-inning situation after five or more foul balls since Derrek Lee of the Chicago Cubs on May 11, 2005.
TOP OF THE BOTTOM Indians No. 9 hitters have a combined .324 average this season, far and away the best in the big leagues. Minnesota’s No. 9 batters are hitting .266, Seattle’s .265, according to Stats Inc. Casey Blake has hit ninth in 28 games, Aaron Boone 17. Three other players have hit ninth in a combined 10 games.
ALUMNI REPORT Former Indians pitcher Bartolo Colon is on the Angels’ disabled list with inflammation in his right shoulder. He made a four-inning minor-league start Thursday for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga, throwing 47 pitches without allowing a run. He will pitch for Triple-A Salt Lake City on Tuesday.
ON THE FARM Double-A Akron left-hander Rafael Perez worked a complete-game, two-hit shutout Thursday during a 2-0 victory over Altoona. Perez (4-5) struck out five and walked three while lowering his season ERA to 2.98.

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


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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

6/3/06

INDIANS INSIDER
Indians fight off shame


Saturday, June 03, 2006

Burt Graeff
Plain Dealer Reporter

Some losses sting more than others. Apparently, the Memorial Day massacre - an 11-0 thumping to the White Sox - stung more than any this season.

"It's safe to say that there were some upset people after that game," said Indians manager Eric Wedge.

The lopsided loss was followed by three straight victories over the White Sox.

Casey Blake agreed that the 11-0 setback was an attention-getter.

"Everyone was fed up, teed off," Blake said. "We were backed into as corner after getting ambushed on Monday.

"I feel that we responded to that embarrassment and to the way we played before then."

The Indians responded by winning, 4-3, 5-0, and 12-8.

"I'm proud of the way we played those last three games," Blake said. "That was more like us. Everyone feels we had to get on a roll.

"Maybe we have."

After losing 14 of 19 to the White Sox last season, the Indians have bounced back to win six of nine this season. "What we did against the White Sox this week gives us confidence that we can compete with the best in baseball," said designated hitter Travis Hafner.

"By falling more than 10 games back like we did, there had to be as sense of urgency. You can't make up the lead in one day, but playing like we did against [Chicago] should help."

Wedge said he particularly liked how the Indians were able to win three vastly different games. "We always talk about finding ways to win games," Wedge said.

"In winning those three, we won a one-run game, a blowout and one that went back and forth. Those three games epitomized what we want to do."

Hit man:

Being demoted to Class AAA Buffalo has not had an adverse effect on catcher Kelly Shoppach.

Shoppach, 26, was sent down on May 20 in order to get more playing time.

In six games since the demotion, Shoppach is batting .409 (9-for-22) with two home runs, five RBI and an .818 slugging percentage.

With Victor Martinez locked in as the Indians' everyday catcher, Shoppach was not going to see much time. In seven games with the Tribe, Shoppach hit .250 (4-for-16), with no home runs and two RBI.

Set to return:

Bartolo Colon, whose trade by General Manager Mark Shapiro to Montreal in June 2002 set off the Indians' rebuilding, has been on the Los Angeles Angels' disabled list since April 16 with an inflamed right shoulder.

Colon, whose 21-8 record last season won the Cy Young Award, pitched four scoreless innings in a rehab start for Class A Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., on Thursday.

He's scheduled for another rehab start on Tuesday for Class AAA Salt Lake City. Barring a setback, he'll rejoin the Angels for a June 11 start.

Before being sidelined, Colon was 0-2 (7.07 ERA) in three starts.

Finally:

The Indians' Class A Lake County Captains will provide the opposition when future Hall of Famer Roger Clemens makes his 2006 debut in a minor-league start for the Class A Lexington Legends on Tuesday in Lexington, Ky. Clemens, 43, signed a one-year, pro-rated $22 million contract with the Houston Astros on Wednesday. . . . Martinez, given the night off while Tim Laker caught starting pitcher Jason Johnson, was two for his last 23 - dropping his batting average to .282. . . . Another setback hit pitcher Jason Stanford, who missed the first half of last season recovering from July 2004 Tommy John surgery. Stanford is on Buffalo's disabled list with an inflamed flexor tendon of the left elbow.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

[email protected], 216-999-4655

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

6/4/06

Hafner slams erring Angels

Guerrero drops fly, Indians score eight unearned runs in sixth

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - The Los Angeles Angels got the Indians off the hook in more ways than one Saturday at Jacobs Field.
Not only did the Angels bungle their way out of a possible victory, they showed Northeast Ohio fans that bad defense is not the exclusive property of the Tribe.
A nightmarish sixth inning was the key to the Indians' 14-2 win, but more important to the long-term prospects of the team was the performance of Cliff Lee, who rebounded from a month filled with sub-par starts.
In his seven-inning stint, Lee (4-5, 5.17 ERA) yielded both runs on six hits and two walks.
``Cliff was back to his normal self today,'' Indians manager Eric Wedge said. ``He was very good and gave a very consistent effort.''
Two huge errors with two outs in the sixth opened the door for the Tribe to turn a 2-2 tie into a laughable rout, led by Travis Hafner, who smacked his third grand slam of the season and fifth of his career.
The most damaging error occurred with Victor Martinez on second and Ben Broussard on first. Ronnie Belliard hit a fading fly near the right-field line that bounced off the glove of Vladimir Guerrero.
``That's a ball that Vlad got to and should have caught,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. ``You hit that ball again, and he's going to catch it.''
Instead of the third out, Martinez and Broussard scored, and that was only the beginning. Aaron Boone followed with an RBI double, and starter Kelvim Escobar (5-6, 3.90 ERA) walked the next two batters (one intentionally) before leaving the mess to Brendan Donnelly.
Jhonny Peralta promptly slapped a ground ball to short which was muffed by Orlando Cabrera to let in the fourth run of the inning and bring up Hafner.
Three pitches later, Hafner hammered a drive far over the center-field fence.
``Hafner's a clutch hitter,'' Wedge said of the only man in the big leagues with three slams this year. ``He likes to be up there with runners on base, with runners in scoring position. That's the type of hitter he is.''
Planning probably isn't part of hitting grand slams. Hafner can't really pick and choose when he's going to go deep.
``It's just a coincidence,'' he said of his grand slams. ``But I love to be up with the bases loaded.''
That is borne out by the numbers. This year, Hafner is 5-for-8 with 17 RBI when the bases are filled.
``When you have a chance to get out of an inning and don't, it's very frustrating,'' Hafner said. ``And when (errors) lead to runs, it can be pretty demoralizing.''
An error by second baseman Adam Kennedy in the eighth let in another unearned run to give the Indians nine for the afternoon.
The Angels came into the game 11th among American League teams with 35 errors (the Tribe is last with 40) and led the league in giving up unearned runs with 29, 11 more than the Indians.
``It sounds crazy to say this, but the game was a lot closer than the score,'' Scioscia said, adding, ``We've given up our share of unearned runs, and we gave up a bundle today. But we're not going to fret about it.''
Lee was in command of the game until the sixth. Then, after two were out, he gave up three hits in a row, the last a two-run double by Garret Anderson.
The inning continued with an intentional walk and a hit batter, but Lee retired the side without further damage and set the side down in order in the seventh.
``It was a 2-0 game, so I couldn't allow them to score any more runs,'' Lee said. ``That was the game for us right there.''
Wedge was impressed that Lee was able to stop the bleeding in the sixth, then shut down the Angels in the seventh after the Tribe had gone ahead.
``They put an inning together against him, but he kept it to two runs,'' Wedge said. ``And it was just as important for him to shut them down after we took the lead.''
For five innings, the only hits he allowed were a bloop single with one out in the fourth and a leadoff single in the fifth. Both of those runners were wiped out by double plays.
In Lee's four previous starts, he compiled a 1-2 record and 9.14 ERA. For his six May starts, Lee was 1-4 with a 7.79 ERA.
``It seems like I was getting beat with two outs or two strikes, that I was one pitch away from getting out of innings,'' Lee said. ``For whatever reason, I wasn't finishing the job last month.''
Maybe all Lee needed was for the page of the calendar to turn.
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[scarletngrey11]

I went to yesterday's game, and it was great.

The place went crazy when Hafner hit a grand slam on his birthday.

The Tribe have now won all 5 of the games i've gone to this year.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

The Tribe have now won all 5 of the games i've gone to this year.

I hope you don't miss another game then.....

ABJ

6/4/06

TALKIN' TRIBE
• Reader Geoffrey Klein (Naples, Fla.) wrote that he wanted to trade Jake Westbrook ``A.S.A.P. He's a .500 pitcher without a quality off-speed pitch and he'll never be a steady winner.'' His point was they can't get anything for Jason Johnson, so trade Westbrook. In the past two-plus years in the rotation, his record is 34-27. He's not missed a start. He's 5-3 overall, and is 3-1 with a 4.36 ERA in May. He's a solid major-league starter, despite his tendency to have some stinker games.
• Lots of fans have been complaining about Paul Byrd (4-4, 5.43). He had a dismal April, but in his past six starts, he's pitched six innings four times and has twice gone seven innings. His ERA is 3.83 in that span. He's coming around.
• By comparison, Kevin Millwood is 6-3 with a 4.85 ERA for the Texas Rangers. He's 4-0 with a 2.31 ERA on the road, 2-3 with a 7.23 ERA at home. A flyball pitcher, Ameriquest Field at Arlington was perhaps the worst park for Millwood to call home. He might struggle there all year. He's been getting criticism because of his home struggles, as fans expect more from a guy with a five-year, $60 million deal. I'm sure there are days when Millwood wishes he still pitched here -- but payday is not one of those.
• The Indians believed Jason Michaels would play better as he settled into a new league and became a starter. In May, he batted a team-leading .330 with two home runs, 15 RBI and eight doubles. He can be a solid player for the Tribe, and a nice pickup for Arthur Rhodes, who is 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA for the Philadelphia Phillies. In 17 innings, he's allowed 20 hits and 13 walks.
• The player the Tribe misses the most is Bob Howry, who went into the weekend with a 2-1 record and 2.10 ERA, with opposing batters hitting only .210 against him. He signed a three-year, $12 million deal with the Chicago Cubs. Rafael Betancourt has the best chance to fill Howry's role, but it's doubtful Betancourt can pitch in a franchise-record 79 games as Howry did last year. So they'll need younger pitchers such as Jason Davis, Fernando Cabrera and possibly Fausto Carmona to pitch the key seventh and eighth innings.
• Baseball America has ranked Chad Rodgers of Walsh Jesuit as the No. 96 player in this week's 2006 amateur draft. The magazine wrote: ``He has an 87-89 sinker and can touch 92 mph when he uses his four-seam fastball. He has a 12-to-6 curveball and change-up, plus an advanced feel on how to mix pitches and locations to keep hitters off balance. He has drawn comparison to Jeremy Sowers, and Rodgers is more projectable and should wind up with better pure stuff.''

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​

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

6/4/06

Tribe happy to see ‘old’ Lee again
Sunday, June 4, 2006
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By Andy Call REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER[/FONT]
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Cleveland Indians pitcher Cliff Lee delivers during the first inning of Saturday’s game at Jacobs Field. Lee gave up just two runs in seven innings during the Tribe’s 14-2 win.​

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CLEVELAND - The Indians were glad to have the old Cliff Lee back on the mound.
Cleveland’s 27-year-old left-hander, who had suffered through a forgettable May, allowed two runs over seven innings Saturday during the Tribe’s 14-2 pasting of the Angels at Jacobs Field.
“When you make 30-to-35 starts, you’re going to have a couple where you have a little bit of a hiccup,” Manager Eric Wedge said.
Lee’s “hiccup” lasted a month, which would give anyone a sore stomach. He was 1-4 with a 7.79 ERA in six May starts after an encouraging April (2-1, 2.97).
“I was getting hurt with two out and two strikes, situations where I’ve always finished things off in the past,” Lee said.
He appeared to be falling into that pattern again Saturday after carrying a 2-0 lead into the sixth inning. A pair of two-out singles were followed by Garret Anderson’s two-run double. Vladimir Guerrero was intentionally walked, then Lee hit Tim Salmon with a pitch to load the bases.
“There’s no room for error there,” Lee said. “I can’t allow them to score any more runs. If we give them the lead, it changes the whole aspect of the game. I had to bear down and get the next guy out.”
Lee did, getting Kendry Morales to tap a ground ball to second baseman Ronnie Belliard. After the Indians scored eight runs in the bottom of the sixth to lead 10-2, Lee retired all three hitters he faced in the seventh.
“Cliff was back to his normal self today,” Wedge said. “His fastball was down in the zone, he threw consistent first-pitch strikes, he worked his breaking ball in and mixed his pitches well.”
Lee said earlier this week he was concerned he may be tipping his pitches. Wedge said Lee and pitching coach Carl Willis studied video, but were not able to pick up anything Lee might have been doing to let batters know what was coming.
“I need to make sure that’s not a possibility,” Lee said.
It is a possibility that Lee’s numbers in June may be in sharp contrast to last month.
“I felt like this was the day to turn it around,” Lee said.

WHO’S HOT Grady Sizemore is batting .345 over his last 15 games. ... Aaron Boone is batting .333 over his last 11 games. ... Jason Michaels’ 11-game hitting streak came to an end.
WHO’S NOT Cleveland’s bullpen had a combined 5.64 ERA (22 1/3 innings, 14 earned runs) from May 27 through Friday, but Fausto Carmona threw two scoreless innings Saturday. ... Jhonny Peralta’s eighth-inning RBI single snapped an 0-for-15 skid. .. Victor Martinez has three hits in his last 27 at-bats (.111).
LOYAL FANS A group of 50 St. Ignatius High seniors gathered in the left-field bleachers Saturday to honor closer Bob Wickman. The shirtless young men, each with one letter painted on their chest, sat in the same row to spell out the phrase, “Bob Wickman is the greatest baseball player ... ever.” Some of the fans served as blank spaces between the words.
DUDE CAN COACH Friday marked Derek Shelton’s 162nd game as hitting coach since Eddie Murray was fired last June. The Indians have batted .286 with 214 home runs and averaged 5.46 runs per game in that span.
STANFORD ON DL Triple-A Buffalo left-hander Jason Stanford has been placed on the disabled list with inflammation of his left flexor tendon. Stanford is 2-4 with a 5.10 ERA in 10 starts. He had Tommy John elbow surgery in July 2004.
ON THE FARM Right-hander Edward Mujica worked three scoreless innings Saturday during Triple-A Buffalo’s 4-2 win over Durham. Mujica has not allowed an earned run in 30 innings this season.

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

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

6/4/06

INDIANS NOTEBOOK

Control problems have Mota perplexed

Sunday, June 04, 2006

Scott Priestle
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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CLEVELAND — Guillermo Mota suffered an elbow injury early last season that led to a shoulder injury late in the season. As difficult as it was to endure, at least it explained his struggles on the mound.

Now in his first season with the Indians, Mota is healthy but still struggling, which is causing a different kind of discomfort.

"It makes me worried about what’s going on," he said. "I have to start to change things."

Mota allowed two home runs Friday night, both on changeups, which he considers his "out pitch" — the pitch he throws to finish off an at-bat. He has allowed eight home runs and 14 walks in 23 2 /3 innings this season.

"I don’t have confidence to throw my best pitch right now," he said. "That never happened before. I have to try to do something different. The way I’m pitching right now is not me."

Mota has said since the start of spring training that his elbow and shoulder are fine, and he regularly hits 96 mph on the stadium radar gun. But he has had trouble throwing strikes from his first outing of the season.

"I’m giving too much credit to the hitters right now," he said. "It’s my first time in the American League, but they are still hitters.

"I got it in my heart that I’m going to be back. I know they need me. It’s two months already, so there are four months left. My mom and my agent told me, ‘When they need you most, you’ll be there.’ "
An ode to the closer



A group of 53 students from Cleveland St. Ignatius High School stood in the left-field bleachers yesterday with their chests painted, spelling out the phrase "Bob Wickman is the greatest baseball player … ever." They even included the spaces, ellipses and period.

They gave Wickman a standing ovation when he walked from the dugout to the bullpen in the middle innings.

"I was hearing about it during the game, when I was in (the clubhouse)," Wickman said. "As soon as I walked out there, they erupted. It was awesome."
Down on the farm



Edward Mujica threw three scoreless innings Friday for triple-A Buffalo and has not allowed an earned run this season. In 30 innings between double-A Akron and Buffalo, he has allowed two unearned runs. … Jason Stanford, who is taking the slow road back from elbow surgery two years ago, was put on Buffalo’s disabled list because of inflammation in his left forearm. He is 2-4 with a 5.10 ERA for the Bisons.

[email protected]