Indians Tidbits (2006 season)..

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

7/11/06

Sizemore a complete All-Star


Tuesday, July 11, 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]


<TABLE style="MARGIN: 10px -3px 15px 5px; POSITION: relative" width=300 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD>

AP Ron Schwane Indians center fielder Grady Sizemore is making his first All-Star appearance today, but he has all the tools to make sure it is far from his last.
​

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


CLEVELAND - When one watches Grady Sizemore play center field for the Indians, the natural reaction is to admire his talent and hustle.
When one realizes Sizemore will turn 24 next month, the natural reaction is a shake of the head and speculation as to just how good a player he might eventually become.
“Everything’s happened for him in a hurry,” Indians Manager Eric Wedge said of the Indians’ lone representative in tonight’s All-Star Game in Pittsburgh.
“I’ve never been to an All-Star Game,” Sizemore said. “I’m looking forward to it. I don’t know what to expect, so I’ll just go out there, have fun and enjoy it.”
Sizemore was named Most Valuable Player of the 2003 Futures Game but did not stick around Chicago to watch the All-Star Game.
“I watched it on TV, like everybody else,” Sizemore said.
Few Indians are having All-Star caliber seasons, but Sizemore admitted being surprised he will not be joined, at least, by designated hitter Travis Hafner.
“Pronk” has made baseball history by hitting five grand slams in the first half of the season and is batting .322 with 25 home runs and 74 RBIs, leading the American League in on-base percentage (.461) and slugging percentage (.650).
“I’m in shock he’s not there,” Sizemore said.
It is no shock that Sizemore is there, however. Chicago White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen, who will direct the AL club tonight, once called Sizemore the best player in the Central Division.
“He has a special combination of ability and talent level,” Wedge agreed. “Grady is also a great competitor.”
Sizemore is competitive enough to be in the lineup every day. He played in 158 games last year and has played in all 87 games so far in 2006. He has started 120 consecutive games.
Few players give their teams both the defensive and offensive presence Sizemore offers.
He has already made enough diving catches in center field this season to fill a highlight film. On Sunday, he climbed the door to the Cleveland bullpen at Jacobs Field to make a catch. He was charged with just three errors in 2005 and two so far this season.
From an offensive standpoint, few players provide all of the essential ingredients — average, power and speed. Sizemore comes into the break with a .291 average, 46 extra-base hits and 13 stolen bases. He ranks among league leaders in runs scored, doubles, extra-base hits, total bases and total hits. His 15 homers are the most of any leadoff hitter in baseball. He also has gone 364 at-bats without hitting into a double play, most of any hitter in the league.
“He’s been a consistent player on both sides of the ball,” Wedge said. “Just look at the consistency of his numbers. It’s tough to do that across the board the way he has done it.”
Sizemore has endured few prolonged slumps in his career but comes into the All-Star Game on a cold streak. He is batting .150 (6-for-40) so far this month and has a .225 career average in July.
“You’re going to have peaks and valleys through the course of a season,” Wedge said. “He’ll get a little break, and I expect him to be Grady when he gets back. That’s who he is.”
Reach Repository sports writer Andy Call at (330) 580-8346 or e-mail: [email protected]

Mr. Consistency
Grady Sizemore’s pace for 2006 is quite similar to his 2005 statistics. Here is a comparison of the numbers:
Year Avg R 2B 3B HR RBI SB
2005 .289 111 37 11 22 81 22
2006 (pace) .291 132 47 11 28 80 24

Today’s game
PNC Park
Pittsburgh
8 p.m.

Starting pitchers
Kenny Rogers, Detroit Tigers (11-3, 3.85)
vs. Brad Penny, L.A. Dodgers (10-2, 291)

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

7/12/06

Tribe prospect Marte on his way

After a slow start, third baseman is blossoming in Triple-A, could be promoted to majors soon

By Stephanie Storm

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->TOLEDO - Andy Marte believed his hitting would come around. Triple-A Buffalo manager Torey Lovullo predicted it.
Now, it's up to Indians officials to think about their situation at third base.
The issue is whether to continue to play veteran Aaron Boone while Marte awaits a chance to come up from the minor leagues.
In some ways, the situation is comparable to substituting Jeremy Sowers for Jason Johnson in the pitching rotation.
There are several factors to consider. The Indians came into the All-Star break with a 40-47 record that has them 18 ½ games behind the Detroit Tigers in the American League Central Division. Meanwhile, after a slow start, Marte is playing as an organization's top prospect should.
His batting average has steadily improved to .271, while his home run total has jumped to 13 with a barrage in June. Marte enters tonight's Triple-A All-Star Game in Toledo as one of two Buffalo representatives and the winner of Monday's Triple-A Home Run derby.
``My first couple swings I was a bit nervous,'' Marte, 22, admitted. ``But once I got the first one out, I started to feel real good.''
Meanwhile, Boone is struggling. In 80 games, he's batting .254 with four home runs, and his 14 errors are most among major-league third basemen.
It took the shy and sensitive Marte some time to adjust to playing in a new organization (he was originally signed by the Atlanta Braves in 2000 as a free agent from the Dominican Republic), as well as dealing with the colder spring weather in western New York.
Looking to impress his new employers, Marte pressed his way into an unfamiliar slump.
Marte batted a career-low .232 in the first month and a half of the season, and committed a team-high 19 errors.
Few would have believed Marte was one of the Indians' top prospects by watching him at the beginning of June.
Marte insisted his slump wasn't for long.
``I'm beginning to feel more comfortable,'' he said last month. ``I know good things are about to happen. I can feel it.''
Lovullo was quick to back him up.
``I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if (Marte) suddenly jumps up to hit eight home runs and 30 RBI this next month,'' Lovullo said in June.
Steadily, Marte's average has begun to rise while his power numbers are coming in bunches. After going homerless in April, Marte hit a pair in May, then had 10 in June, including home runs in five consecutive games.
``I always knew I'd hit. It was a matter of getting consistent with it day to day,'' Marte said. ``I've learned now that even when you don't feel good, that's the day you have to try harder. You have to find a way.''
The other half of the equation: What to do with Boone?
After Boone made three errors in a game against the New York Yankees last week, Indians manager Eric Wedge told Tribe reporters that it was ``too soon to speculate (a move) out of fairness to the players here (in Cleveland) and Marte.''
Wedge acknowledged Marte's recent improvement, a sure sign the youngster is on the manager's radar screen, if nothing else.
``(Marte's) been more consistent in the last month,'' Wedge said. ``He had a very hot two or three weeks. He definitely has made strides this year.''
Indians director of player development John Farrell wouldn't give a specific time frame for Marte's arrival at Jacobs Field. He did indicate that a promotion before rosters expand Sept. 1 would be more beneficial.
``We have factored him into our '07 plan, but there's not a specific date set yet this year,'' Farrell said. ``However, we would like to accomplish exposing him to some games and get him used to the atmosphere in Cleveland prior to Sept. 1 to help give us a better read heading into next season.''
Marte wants no part of rumors.
``I don't want to put (a certain date) in my head,'' he said. ``I don't even want to think about how (the Indians) are doing. I am here now. I play for the Bisons.''
While fans see a player's development only in the baseball season, Farrell and his staff work on a player's mental and physical game during the offseason, too.
This winter, team officials will focus on getting Marte more acclimated to a strength and conditioning program.
``In addition, we're looking to provide more structure to his day-to-day activities that will affect the development of his mental side of the game,'' Farrell said.
<!-- end body-content --><!-- begin body-end -->

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

7/12/06

Indians to add seven to their Hall of Fame


Wednesday, July 12, 2006


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


CLEVELAND - Seven former players will be inducted into the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame on July 29, the first group of players added since 1972.
The team decided to revive its Hall of Fame this year, and will recognize its new class prior to that night’s game against Seattle at Jacobs Field.

Shortstop Ray Chapman, right-hander Addie Joss, left-handers Sam McDowell and Herb Score, third baseman Al Rosen, outfielder Rocky Colavito and Manager Al Lopez were selected by the team to join the 20 players who had been inducted from 1951 to 1972. A player must have been active for Cleveland for three seasons and be retired at least one full year to be considered.


</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

7/13/06

Time to get on the ball

Indians must limit mental, physical errors in second half

By Terry Pluto

Travis Hafner, center, is surrounded by teammates at the plate after hitting a two run home run to beat the Kansas City Royals in the ninth inning at Jacob's Field Tuesday, May 16, 2006 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Akron Beacon Journal/Karen Schiely)

<!-- begin body-content -->As the Indians stagger into the second half of the season, they should have one goal: Start playing baseball like a major-league team.
Contention is out. Some young players already are here and should see more action, and others are on the way.
But they can't repeat how they played before the All-Star break, and not just the 40-47 record.
The Indians have made the second-most errors in the American League. They have allowed the most stolen bases. Consider the five infield positions -- catcher, first base, second, shortstop and third. Each of those players is first or second in the AL in errors.
That is a recipe for losing, preventing the Tribe from going on a sustained winning streak. It also denies Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner and a few other players the attention they deserve for their terrific performances.
People outside Northeast Ohio see the Indians as a team that was 93-69 a year ago with the league-best ERA of 3.61. The pitching now ranks 11th at 4.74.
The major collapse has been in the field. This team ranked eighth in defense last season. Not great, but hardly a disaster. Only one position was changed -- Jason Michaels for Coco Crisp in left field.
Yet virtually every position player, except Casey Blake in right and Sizemore in center, has been worse with the glove, and that opinion comes right from the top -- General Manager Mark Shapiro.
Manager Eric Wedge must find a way for his team to play smarter baseball, not only cutting down on the physical errors, but also the mental blunders.
Tribe fans have seen it all. Poor base running. Crazy throws. Basic plays botched. The tone for the second half must be set now, and it's up to Shapiro and Wedge to do it.
Trouble spots
When Wedge talks about players being ready for the ball to be hit to them on every pitch, it's a safe bet one of the targets is Jhonny Peralta. His 13 errors rank second among AL shortstops.
A year ago, he had 19 errors in 141 games. In 2003, at age 21, he played 72 games at short for the Tribe and committed only eight errors.
It would be different if Peralta reached a lot of balls and made errors on demanding plays. Instead, his range is below average, and somehow the Indians must shape him up or shop for a shortstop in the offseason.
You can't have a player this bad at such a key defensive position.
It's time for Andy Marte to take over for Aaron Boone at third. Boone is 33, but seems older. His 14 errors at third are the most in the AL, and many are on routine plays.
At the plate, he's hitting a soft .254 with only four home runs and 36 RBI. It's pointless to let this continue. Marte batted .275 with 20 homers and 74 RBI in the Class AAA International League last year.
An all-star in the same league this season, he's at .271 with 13 homers and 40 RBI. He's only 22. He has struggled defensively (19 errors) but is supposed to be the third baseman of the future.
Marte won the Class AAA Home Run Derby in Toledo earlier this week. In June, he hit 10 homers while batting .304.
In 2003, the Indians brought up Victor Martinez after a hot June in Buffalo. In 2004, they promoted Sizemore from Buffalo on July 23.
Neither player made major impacts that season, but the exposure to big-league pitching over the last few months set them up to produce consistently the following season.
In both cases, Martinez and Sizemore had slow springs in Buffalo -- just as Marte did.
Time for a break
Shapiro has committed to Martinez as the catcher for next season. Does he have to catch the second-most games in the majors? He did that in 2005 and is ranked second again this year.
It's a decent guess that Martinez's defense and throwing might improve if he wasn't catching nearly every day. Let his body heal. He can play some first base. Allow Kelly Shoppach to catch when lefties pitch, because Shoppach can develop into a solid defensive catcher and he does have some power.
The Indians should look at this setup for the rest of the season. They can't continue with Martinez throwing out a major-league low 9 percent of base runners, under his 22 percent of the previous two seasons.
As the No. 5 starter, Jason Johnson wisely was dispatched to the Boston Red Sox, his place taken in the rotation by Jeremy Sowers. This probably will be a rocky ride for Sowers, 23 years old and left-handed, but the Indians should let him remain in the rotation. He was 23-5 with a 2.00 ERA in the minors, so there's not much to prove there.
Wedge has to sort through young pitchers, including Fernando Cabrera, Fausto Carmona, Rafael Perez, Edward Mujica and possibly Jeremy Guthrie (if summoned from Buffalo) to assemble a bullpen for 2007. He also needs to see if he can revive Rafael Betancourt, who had a 3.08 ERA coming into this season but is at 4.73 in 2006.
Some fans have complained about Michaels. But remember Michaels was part of the trade involving Crisp. They sent Arthur Rhodes to the Philadelphia Phillies for Michaels.
In Philadelphia, Rhodes is 0-3 with a 5.40 ERA and has allowed 35 hits and 19 walks in 28 innings. He would not help the Tribe much this season. Rhodes is 36 and has battled knee problems.
At worst, Michaels (.268, .330 on base, six homers, 26 RBI) is a viable fourth outfielder. He came to the Tribe with a reputation of hitting lefties, and that continues: .301, four homers, 15 RBI in 103 at-bats.
He has to prove he can hit righties: .247, two homers, 11 RBI in 162 at-bats.
Yes, the Indians do miss Crisp, but his departure is not even close to the main reason for their dramatic fall. That comes down to defense and pitching, as the Tribe is second in the AL in runs scored.
The Indians should consider trading some of their veteran players, but they should hang on to Paul Byrd unless they receive an overwhelming offer. Byrd is 6-6 with a 4.31 ERA. Only once (his last outing) has he failed to last six innings since May 1, covering 12 starts.
Byrd's big problem is lefty hitters (.339), while he handles righties (.218). He's under contract for next year, and the Indians need a veteran in the rotation.
But the main goal for the second half must be respectability, to have a team that makes routine plays and seems to have a sense of purpose when it takes the field.
<!-- end body-content --><!-- begin body-end -->

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

7/13/06

Rookie getting a look

In search for left-handed relief, Tribe turns to minor-league starter Perez

By Zach Silka

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - It's still only the fifth inning, but Indians starter Jake Westbrook is beginning to falter.
The right-hander has given up three earned runs to the Cincinnati Reds, and although he cruises through the sixth inning, it's time for the hook.
Two of the three Reds hitters due up in the seventh are lefties, so a call is made to bring in a left-handed reliever from the bullpen -- the Indians' only left-hander, that is.
Formerly a starter at Double-A Akron, Rafael Perez has filled the void when the Indians designated situational left-hander Scott Sauerbeck for assignment June 9.
Perez has performed admirably, albeit in a limited role. With the exception of one errant pitch that Reds slugger Austin Kearns knocked out of the park with a man on base July 1, the 24-year-old hasn't allowed a run in his eight innings of work.
Perez has posted a 2.25 ERA and a strikeouts-to-walks ratio of 9-2 in nine appearances. He has allowed only one hit to a left-handed batter, an important gauge of his chances to expand his future role.
Indians manager Eric Wedge said Perez has exceeded his expectations by making a seamless transition from minor-league starter to major-league reliever.
``It's happened pretty fast for him,'' Wedge said. ``He's a guy we've brought in in the middle (of games), and now we've been bringing him in in more late situations.''
So far, the Indians are still in a learning process with Perez.
``I think in fairness to him, coming here and having been a starter and not being accustomed to those situations, right now we're trying to get his feet wet,'' pitching coach Carl Willis said.
``But I think pretty soon you're going to see him come into that situation on being a left-on-left guy for one or two hitters to get us to Fausto (Carmona), Rafael (Betancourt) or even Bob Wickman.''
On his own
The past month hasn't been Perez's debut in the big leagues, but rather his first extended stay. He first was recalled from Akron on April 20 for two games in Baltimore; he pitched one inning.
Now, because of his recent performance, it seems Perez will be sticking around.
``It's good to be back with this team,'' Perez said. ``I learned a lot my last time (with the Indians).''
Once a shy, unsure newcomer who relied on Betancourt to be his translator, Perez has taken steps the second time around to blend in more with his teammates and the media.
``I think when you get here, you have to be able to (talk for yourself) because you're going to have (the media) asking you questions almost every day,'' Betancourt said.
``You have to be able to do that by yourself, and then you start getting confidence, too. It's good for him.''
Throughout his career, Perez has made rapid progress and developed an ability to adapt to new environments. After being named the 2003 Appalachian League Pitcher of the Year with Burlington in the rookie leagues, he started with an 0-5 record at Class-A Lake County in 2004, but rebounded with a 7-1 record in the second half of the season.
This season with the Aeros, Perez posted a 2.81 ERA and a 4-5 record in 12 starts.
``I think right now, this season, he's certainly found a fit in our bullpen,'' Willis said. ``He's had success starting in the minor leagues, and that's something that adds to his versatility and value at this point, that he could potentially do both.''
Fast and loose
The only stumbling point anyone in the Indians' organization foresaw when Perez was called up was his ability to get loose quickly late in the game.
Most starters require at least 20 minutes to get fully warmed up before a game, but as a reliever, there isn't that same liberty. A situation can escalate quickly in later innings that requires a reliever to enter from the bullpen after only a few minutes of throwing.
Perez hadn't been called on to do that until this past weekend's finale against the Baltimore Orioles. The experiment didn't go so well.
After Westbrook walked Kevin Millar to lead off the seventh, Wedge summoned Perez to maintain the Indians' 4-3 lead. Following a sacrifice bunt by the Orioles to move Millar to second, Perez threw two wild pitches, allowing the tying run to score before Baltimore went on to win 5-4.
Before Sunday, Wedge and Willis had preselected opposing hitters for Perez to face so he had ample warm-up time.
Betancourt has been a reliever his entire career and has become accustomed to the transition from calmly watching the game to frantically trying to get loose.
Despite Perez's setback against the Orioles, Betancourt said he has no doubts the rookie reliever can become accustomed to the high-stress environment.
``When you know you have to be ready quickly, you'll be able to do that because in your mind you're saying, `I have to be ready in 15 pitches, even though normally I throw 45 before the game,' '' Betancourt said. ``When you get to the big leagues, you pitch in any situation where they want you to pitch.''
Even though Perez slipped up in his situational debut, it was still a sign that the Indians are beginning to take off the training wheels.
That vote of confidence from Wedge to bring Perez in during a dicey situation seems to have cemented him as the club's left-handed reliever of the future.
``He has been outstanding,'' Willis said. ``What he has done in the bullpen to this point in a brief look bodes well for him in that role.''
<!-- end body-content --><!-- begin body-end --><HR class=tagline color=#cccccc SIZE=1>

ABJ

7/13/06

Indians report

Indians focusing on improvement

A disappointing start leaves players looking inward, not at standings

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->Brave words continue to be spoken by many of the Indians, despite lackluster play in the first half.
Nobody is predicting the team will qualify for the postseason, but players seem to understand that winning can be its own reward.
``We have to start over and be the best team we can be from here on,'' Ben Broussard said. ``That's the way we have to look at it.
``We can't be making excuses. We've got 80 games (actually 75), and we have to go out and steamroll teams to make us feel good about ourselves. We can lie down and be terrible, or come out and fight.''
Or as Victor Martinez said, ``We have to forget about other teams and think about ourselves.''
Jake Westbrook was hoping he and his teammates would use the break to explore what has gone wrong and how to fix it.
``We need to reflect on the first half and how we could have done a lot better,'' he said. ``Then we need to decide what adjustments to make.
``We definitely had higher expectations for ourselves, but we are what we are.''
Manager Eric Wedge seems to have run out of patience and wants his team to put up or shut up.
``What would a successful second half be?'' he said. ``If we come out and surprise everybody, and you can define that as you may.''
If his players haven't gotten the message yet, they probably never will.
``I think in the last couple of weeks, these guys have learned a great deal,'' Wedge said. ``Hopefully, this has been a wake-up call. If it hasn't been, I don't know what would be.''
Hearing footsteps?
Andy Marte is one of the more popular subjects among Northeast Ohio fans, many of whom would like to see the Triple-A third baseman called up immediately to replace Aaron Boone.
How does this affect Boone?
``I don't worry that much about it,'' he said.
In addition to the Marte factor, Boone is on the last year of his contract and knows he is unlikely to return to the Tribe next year. So how does he remain motivated?
``I have a certain responsibility, and I care for the guys in this room (clubhouse), from Eric, to (General Manager) Mark (Shapiro) and the staff,'' he said. ``So it's not hard at all. A lot of people in this organization and in this room have been awesome to me.''
The count
Home attendance at the break (46 dates) was 1,175,935. That was 152,767 more than after the same number of dates in 2005.
Tickets sold for the season are 1,778,000. The team did not reach that figure last year until Aug. 22.
That does not mean the Indians are a lock to reach or surpass the 2005 total attendance of 2 million. Unless the club makes a dramatic turnaround, ticket sales in September probably will lag significantly compared with last season, when a second-half push almost netted a playoff spot.
Other stuff
The Indians' 40-47 record is their worst at the break since 2003 (41-53).... Jhonny Peralta is batting .333 with four homers and 14 RBI in his past 23 games.... In his past 20 games, Travis Hafner is batting .385 with seven home runs and 19 RBI.
<!-- end body-content --><!-- begin body-end -->

ABJ

7/13/06

WHAT WENT WRONG

<!-- begin body-content -->• The defense ranks 13th out of 14 teams, only behind the Los Angeles Angels in the American League. The Indians have allowed 39 unearned runs, tied for third-most.
• The infield has been full of holes. Aaron Boone ranks first in the AL with 14 errors. Ben Broussard (first base), Ronnie Belliard (second base), Jhonny Peralta (shortstop) and Victor Martinez (catcher) rank second in errors at their positions.
• Martinez has thrown out only 6-of-67 (9 percent) stealing base runners. That's the lowest in baseball.
• Jason Johnson was simply a bad idea as a fifth starter. He was 3-8 with a 5.96 ERA for the Tribe. Shipped to the Boston Red Sox, he is 0-2 with a 10.13 ERA and has been sent to the minors. A Boston Globe report showed that in the past 32 years, there have been 375 pitchers who have worked at least 1,000 innings. Johnson ranks last in winning percentage .364 (55-96). So what happened should not have been a surprise. That was $3.5 million wasted.
• It's not exactly the sophomore jinx, because he had played 226 big-league games heading into the season, but something has gone wrong with Peralta. He's hitting .253 with nine homers and 40 RBI. He is fifth in the AL in strikeouts with 87. If he happened to be a good shortstop, that would not be a major problem. But his range is worse than last year, and his errors (13) are up, as he made only 19 in 141 games a year ago. He has been batting third but is hitting only .221 with runners in scoring position. With two outs in those situations, it's .156 (7-of-47).
• The Brandon Phillips /Ramon Vazquez decision hurt, because Phillips is a defensive player capable of handling second and short. He gave depth to the Tribe, which has no middle infielders ready for the big leagues in the minors. While Phillips probably would not be starting or hitting as he is for the Cincinnati Reds (.306, seven homers, 44 RBI), he could be pushing Belliard and Peralta for playing time. Since Belliard will be a free agent at the end of the season, Phillips could have been an option at second base in 2007.
• The biggest free-agent loss has been Bob Howry, who is 3-2 with a 3.12 ERA for the Chicago Cubs. He's not great but very solid. The Indians didn't want to give him a three-year deal, because he was not a closer and also has a history of arm problems. Howry would have provided depth as a closer in case something happened to Bob Wickman, and would have been a possible replacement for Wickman next year. The Tribe hoped Guillermo Mota (1-3, 5.94 with nine homers in 33 IP) could take Howry's place in the eighth inning. Didn't happen.
• A year ago, the Indians had the lowest ERA in the AL (3.61). This year, they rank 11th out of 14 teams at 4.74. There have been 17 pitchers in a Tribe uniform this season, and only three have an ERA under 4.00: C.C. Sabathia (3.51), Rafael Perez (2.25) and Edward Mujica (0.00). But Mujica and Perez have worked only eight innings each.
• Rafael Betancourt (4.73), Jason Davis (5.04) and Fernando Cabrera (6.46) have also been disappointing. All were expected to help in middle relief.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

7/13/06

Only subplots remain for struggling Indians

With playoff hopes dim, team must find some answers

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Scott Priestle
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

<!--PHOTOS--><TABLE class=phototableright align=right border=0><!-- begin large ad code --><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE align=center><TBODY></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


There are not many Barry Larkins, Mo Vaughns and Jason Variteks in baseball, players who command a presence in the clubhouse and on the field. Count the Cleveland Indians among the teams left wanting.
Their best players, Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner, are quiet and consumed by selfimprovement. If they lead, it is by example.
The player who commands the most respect in the clubhouse, Aaron Boone, has been among the least-productive players on the field.
Their most vocal players, Victor Martinez and Ronnie Belliard, are more cheerleader and comedian than cop.
"For the last couple years, we’ve really never had somebody step up and take a leadership role, from a position-player standpoint," manager Eric Wedge said. "But those guys are few and far between — not only in baseball, in all sports."
Later, he added, "We’ve got a lot of guys with high character, a lot of good guys. Sometimes you need somebody to step outside their personality."
If finding a leader in the mold of Larkin or Varitek is important for the Indians — and Wedge believes it is — as they build toward an expected run at the pennant in 2007, they have three months left in the 2006 season for that player to emerge from their roster, or one short off-season to acquire him from another club.
It is one of many subplots surrounding the second half of the Indians’ season — and only subplots remain. The big story has been all but decided: This is not the season the Indians return to the postseason.
With that in mind, we present the other subplots to follow during the next three months:
Coming and going

The Indians recently traded veteran first baseman Eduardo Perez to Seattle for minorleague infielder Asdrubal Cabrera. Closer Bob Wickman, Belliard at second base, Boone at third and reliever Guillermo Mota, like Perez, are working on one-year contracts and might be appealing to a contending team.
General manager Mark Shapiro has been quick to say there is no financial need to make a trade, and the farm system has been fertile in recent years. Triple-A third baseman Andy Marte should be the next to bloom.
But there is always a need for more pitching, and there appears to be further need for middle infielders. The Indians have no second baseman under contract for next season, there are questions anew about Jhonny Peralta’s ability to remain at shortstop, and Cabrera is considered a year or more from being ready to play regularly in the big leagues. Trading Wickman or Belliard might net another, more-advanced infield prospect.
Relief pressure

How does Fausto Carmona respond to the pressure of late-inning relief?
When Wickman is gone — either in a trade or after the season via free agency — the Indians will need a closer. Carmona has quickly risen from project to setup man; if he finishes the season strong, he could get a shot at replacing Wickman. If the Indians feel Carmona needs more time in a setup role, they will have to find somebody to fill the closer’s role at least until Carmona is deemed ready.
Catch - 22

How does catcher Kelly Shoppach handle his increased playing time?
And how does Martinez handle first base?
If Shoppach can hit at the big-league level as he did in the minor leagues, it would allow the Indians to use Martinez more often at first base, which should improve the team defense and save some wear and tear on Martinez. When Shoppach catches, Martinez could play first; when Martinez catches, Ben Broussard or Ryan Garko would play first. Essentially, it would create a platoon between the offensively challenged Shoppach and defensively challenged Broussard and Garko.
"We have to accept that we had a bad first half and then everybody go out and proves themselves again," Broussard said. "Because we’re all playing for our jobs, too. Everybody knows that when you have a season like this, changes are going to be made." Wedge acknowledged as much. "Hopefully, it’s a wakeup call for them," he said. "If it isn’t, I don’t know what would be." [email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

7/14/06

Tribe starts second half strong

Indians hit four home runs, pound Twins' rookie phenom Liriano

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->MINNEAPOLIS - It seems to be a fact of life that the 2006 Indians are at their best when they keep it simple.
That means forget about bunting, putting runners in motion, trying to hit to the right side, executing hit-and-run plays, all that complicated stuff.
They started the symbolic second half of the season Thursday night in the Metrodome with a 6-4 win over the Minnesota Twins by performing one basic skill: hitting the ball as far as they could.
Casey Blake, Jhonny Peralta, Travis Hafner and finally Kelly Shoppach did it, and that is why the Tribe won.
It's a disservice to Francisco Liriano to call him the hottest young pitcher in the American League, a phrase recently and incessantly heard on every national talk-radio show and ESPN.
Liriano is better than that. He's not just a hot pitcher who inevitably will cool off. This guy is the real deal, probably a future ace.
But Thursday night was not Liriano's finest hour. In fact, it was his worst start of the season. In five innings, he gave up four earned runs (five total), five hits (including three home runs) and three walks.
In only one other start did he give up as many as three runs, that coming against the Seattle Mariners on June 6, when he sustained his only loss against 10 victories.
``We got a couple of big balls off him,'' Indians manager Eric Wedge said. ``Casey got us going. The home runs really helped us. And I felt like we made Liriano work, seeing some pitches.''
Blake was activated from the disabled list just in time, because he hit the third pitch he saw over the left-field fence for his 11th home run of the year after Victor Martinez had singled in the second inning.
Part of Blake's routine is going through some mental gymnastics to get in the right frame of mind.
``I was sort of visualizing before the game,'' he said.
``But I've been off a month, and it's tough to see yourself hitting balls hard.
But then I thought that I wasn't going to be timid and that I should expect to do something good.''
Later the same inning, Aaron Boone walked, eventually reached third and scored on Jason Michaels' soaring drive to center, where Torii Hunter made a leaping catch just in front of the fence.
Peralta led off the fourth with his 10th homer of the season, and Hafner went deep for the 26th time with two outs and nobody on in the fifth.
Until Thursday night, Liriano had allowed only five home runs all season. All of this raised Liriano's ERA from a minuscule 1.83 to 2.12, which still leads the league. Cliff Lee's performance was a tad short of excellent; at least it would have been, if not for one play that could only happen (the Tribe hopes) in a bumbling season filled with weird misadventures.
In the first four innings, Lee (9-6, 4.68 ERA) gave up three walks but no hits, striking out five. Shannon Stewart finally blooped a single to center to lead off the fifth, only to be erased on a double play.
In the sixth, the Twins began to get the range on Lee. With one out and runners on first and third, Michael Cuddyer doubled home the Twins' first run, leaving runners on second and third.
Justin Morneau's sacrifice fly scored the second run, and Hunter mis-hit a ball in the air off the bat handle that fell between the mound and first base.
Lee dashed after it, but Martinez, playing first, ran into him and the ball fell to the ground for a single. Meanwhile, Cuddyer was off with the pitch and scored from second base. The run was unearned, because Lee was charged with an error.
``That ball had a lot of spin on it,'' Lee said. ``If it was regular grass, it would have kicked right to Victor and he could have thrown it to me at the bag.
``But I think I deked Victor. He thought I was going to first, and he already had committed (to getting the ball), so we had a little collision.''
Wedge called it ``a fluke play,'' which it was. But fluke plays have become almost commonplace when the Tribe takes the field.
``That ball just went where nobody was,'' Wedge said. ``It was a ball that nobody could defend.''
Guillermo Mota was summoned to get the third out. Lee was charged with two earned runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings, leaving with a 5-3 advantage.
The Twins crept to within a run in the eighth on Nick Punto's double off Mota.
However, Shoppach went deep in the ninth inning for only the second time this year to give the Tribe an insurance run for Bob Wickman, who earned his 14th save.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

7/14/06

Blake off DL, back in lineup

Outfielder hits homer in his first at-bat after a month on sideline

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->MINNEAPOLIS - For the first time since he strained an oblique muscle on June 13, Casey Blake was in the lineup as the Indians' right fielder Thursday night.
After Blake sustained the injury, Todd Hollandsworth, Eduardo Perez and Franklin Gutierrez spelled him in right. The Tribe compiled a 10-14 record with Blake out of the lineup, and Perez and Gutierrez no longer are on the team.
Perez was traded to the Seattle Mariners, and Gutierrez was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo to make room on the roster for Blake, who spent the month on the disabled list.
Watching his team lose without being able to participate was tough on Blake, who homered off of Minnesota Twins starter Francisco Liriano in his first at-bat in the second inning.
``You feel kind of helpless and somewhat responsible,'' he said.
Blake prepped for his return by playing five innings for the Aeros on Monday and nine innings at Lake County on Tuesday, when he homered on the second pitch he saw.
``Being up at the plate I didn't feel comfortable,'' he said of his game with the Aeros. ``But any success helps your confidence.''
Blake still feels a twinge in his abdomen now and then, but he has been told there is no reason for him to ease up on the way he plays.
``I still feel it at certain moments, but nothing like it was when I did it,'' he said. ``I think once I get in a routine of playing every day, it will go away.
``You can't hold back when you play this game. I feel like I'm close to 100 percent. It's just a matter of getting some playing time.''
Manager Eric Wedge will take care of that part.
``We'll keep a close eye on him for the first week or two,'' he said. ``And we'll give him some time off from time to time.''
Before the All-Star Game, Wedge talked about Blake being an option at first base, even though both Ben Broussard and everyday catcher Victor Martinez are ahead of him.
``Nobody has said anything to me,'' Blake said. ``I haven't worked out at first.''
Asked his feelings about playing first, Blake said: ``What am I going to tell them, `No, I'm not going to do it?' Apparently, there's a method to their madness. I'll play wherever they want me to play.''
<!-- end body-content --><!-- begin body-end -->

ABJ

7/14/06

NOTEBOOK

<!-- begin body-content -->MINNEAPOLIS - Wedge has good time as All-Star Game coach
How did manager Eric Wedge spend his first All-Star Game? Coaching first base for seven innings.
``There wasn't much action there,'' Wedge said. ``I had a good time watching Grady (Sizemore) and taking it all in.''
Wedge was impressed by the competitiveness of the participants.
``One thing I'd have to say is that without a doubt, those guys were really into it,'' he said. ``They wanted to win the ballgame.''
MADE HIS MARK -- Franklin Gutierrez is back at Triple-A Buffalo, having been optioned to make room for Casey Blake, who came off the disabled list Thursday.
``Gutierrez did a real good job for us,'' Wedge said. ``He did nothing but get better. But it's about him playing. We don't want him sitting around up here.''
In 20 games, Gutierrez batted .258 with four doubles, 11 runs and four RBI. In his last 12 games, Gutierrez batted .350 in 40 at-bats.
IRON MAN -- Sizemore has yet to miss a game this season, which is not necessarily the way Wedge wants it. The manager tries to put his best lineup on the field every day, but he knows that every player needs occasional time off.
``Grady would probably fight me if I gave him a day off,'' Wedge said, smiling. ``If I ask him, he looks at me like I have three heads.''
Joking aside, Wedge does not want Sizemore to start building a lengthy streak that is politically incorrect to stop.
``If I feel it gets to that point, I'll pull the plug on it,'' Wedge said. ``I don't think that would be good for him.''
HEALTHY AGAIN -- Todd Hollandsworth was held out of the four games before the All-Star break with a slight hamstring strain.
``He feels a lot better now,'' Wedge said. ``He should be good to go. He'll probably be in there someplace tomorrow.''
FARM FACTS -- Brian Barton doubled, tripled and drove in two runs, as Kinston beat Salem 7-6 in Class A.... Chris Gimenez hit his sixth home run of the season and doubled, driving in four runs, as Lake County defeated Greensboro 7-3 in Class A.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

7/15/06

Twins deliver in 10th

Indians continue trend of little run support when Paul Byrd pitches

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->MINNEAPOLIS - The Indians did a lot of counterpunching Friday night at the Metrodome.
For the most part, the Minnesota Twins pressed the action, created several scoring opportunities and wasted most of them, stranding 13 runners.
But the Tribe never could mount much of a threat, and eventually the Twins eked across a run in the 10th inning to earn a 3-2 win.
The decisive rally began with Torii Hunter's one-out single and continued as Jason Kubel dinked a bloop hit to center, Hunter advancing to third. Jason Tyner, brought up from Triple-A on Friday, followed with a line-drive single to score Hunter with the game winner.
The victim was rookie Edward Mujica, who finally allowed his first earned run of the season in 31 appearances, including 27 in the Indians' farm system.
Was Mujica thinking of his streak on the mound?
``I don't think about that,'' he said. ``I just try to do my job and pitch.''
If there was pressure to continue his unusual run of success, that was fine with him.
Did he want the streak to continue?
``Keep it going, man,'' Mujica said.
Brad Radke used to be the Tribe's patsy. Even this year, he gave up six runs in a five-inning stint that resulted in an 11-0 loss.
But Radke has been much more effective against the Indians the past few seasons, despite a shoulder injury that dates back at least three years and required a cortisone shot this season.
Friday night, Radke baffled the Tribe for seven innings. He gave up only four hits, but one really hurt.
Radke walked Joe Inglett to start the sixth inning, and one out later, Jason Michaels whacked an opposite-field drive that cleared the fence in right for his seventh homer of the season.
With one swing of the bat, Michaels wiped out the Twins' 2-0 advantage and sent the game back to square one, depriving Radke of the win.
``You talk about a well-pitched ballgame,'' Indians manager Eric Wedge said. ``That's for both sides.
``Guys on the mound stepped up all night long.''
Over the winter, Indians General Manager Mark Shapiro signed Paul Byrd to take the place of Kevin Millwood, the unluckiest starter in the American League in 2005. Millwood led the league in ERA but won only nine games because of scarce run support.
Byrd didn't know he would suffer the same misfortune as Millwood. And he hasn't. Not exactly. For the most part, Byrd has had excellent run support, but in his past seven starts, he has deserved a better result.
Friday night, for example, he was lifted after giving up consecutive singles with one out in the sixth. Rafael Betancourt smartly put out the small brushfire, and Byrd was charged with only two runs on seven hits.
One of those runs was tainted. With two outs and nobody on in the fifth, Luis Castillo smacked a drive to center field that rolled almost to the fence for a triple, thanks to the artificial surface.
Nick Punto followed with a shallow fly ball. Grady Sizemore raced in from center. Jhonny Peralta retreated from shortstop, and Michaels made a dash for the ball from left. Sizemore should have kept coming. Instead, he feared that Michaels would cut him off, so he let the left-fielder dive for it -- and miss, Punto getting an RBI double.
Wedge didn't think anyone could have reached the ball.
``I didn't see where they could get to it,'' he said. ``But you guys (in the press box) have a better view. I thought they just hit the ball where nobody was.''
Would Sizemore have caught the ball for sure? No, but he had a reasonable chance to make the play and end the inning.
That's the way things have been going for Byrd recently. Since June 7, he has made seven starts, posting a 2-2 record with three no-decisions (he has six for the year) and a 2.51 ERA, which isn't bad for a guy whose ERA was 9.15 on April 22.
``I won four games in April with an ERA of about 9.00,'' Byrd said. ``Since then I've only won twice, and I've pitched pretty well. This has been an unusual year for me and an unusual year for the team.
``The wins somehow seem to elude us. I thought we played a pretty good game. We don't have to hang our heads after this one.''
After Byrd left, third-base umpire Tim Timmons created a little heat, when he called Punto out trying to steal third with two outs in the seventh inning and a runner at first.
Punto began a vigorous argument and was immediately ejected. That brought Twins manager Ron Gardenhire rushing to the scene. He, too, was thrown out for the sixth time this season.
Replays showed that Punto was safe.
<!-- end body-content --><!-- begin body-end -->

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

7/15/06

Indians notebook

Rare showing at third base

Belliard there instead of Boone, allowing Inglett chance to play

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->MINNEAPOLIS - What was Ronnie Belliard doing at third base Friday night?
Manager Eric Wedge wrote Belliard's name in the lineup and omitted the name of Aaron Boone, the Indians' regular third baseman. But why?
``It's something we're going to do from time to time,'' Wedge said. ``It allows us to get (Joe) Inglett in to play second or (Ramon) Vazquez. It gives us more flexibility in the lineup.''
Wedge talked to Boone before the All-Star break about diminished playing time. He also has spoken with Belliard several times.
``Eric said something about taking ground balls at third the first year I was here (2004),'' Belliard said. ``He told me, `You never know what can happen.' Then in spring training this year, he said it again about taking ground balls.
``And last week at home against Baltimore he said he might put me in at third.''
Belliard is a career second baseman with some experience at third. For the past four years, he has played third in the Dominican Republic winter league. He also started 20 games at third (and played part time in another 22) when he was with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2002.
That doesn't mean Belliard has aspirations to play third on an everyday basis.
``I don't think so,'' he said. ``I'm a second baseman.''
Belliard probably won't play third when an opposing left-hander starts, since Inglett bats from the left side. Boone is a right-handed batter.
``We'll kind of play it by ear,'' said Wedge, when asked how often Belliard will be at third. ``We'll do it on somewhat of a consistent basis, but I don't really know how to identify it. It won't be more than a couple of times a week.''
Cutting Boone's playing time might be Wedge's way to begin easing him out of the everyday job in preparation for the call-up of Andy Marte from Triple-A Buffalo, probably late this month or early in August.
Easing up
Casey Blake felt soreness in his abdominal region after his return from the disabled list Thursday night, so Wedge told him to take Friday night off.
``We have a left-hander going tomorrow,'' said Wedge, indicating that he wanted Blake to play against Johan Santana. ``And we have to make sure we respect the injury.''
Blake missed a month with a strained oblique, but Wedge insisted that the overnight soreness was not a sign of trouble to come.
``This is all very normal,'' he said.
Keepsakes
When Kelly Shoppach hit his first major-league home run last week, he knew exactly what to do with it.
Like every home run ball he has been able to retrieve, going back to his childhood, he gave it to his parents.
``The first home run I ever hit and the 100th are plaqued and hanging on the wall at their house,'' Shoppach said. ``The rest are in a basket on the floor, where the dog (a Jack Russell terrier) can chew on them.''
Realization
Jeremy Sowers, the thinking man's pitcher, has only begun his major-league career, but he is always discovering something new about his craft.
``The last couple of years I learned that there's a fine line between pitching good and pitching bad,'' he said. ``Sometimes, it's just a matter of a couple of pitches.''
What's the biggest difference between pitching in the majors and the minors?
``I think it's pretty apparent that the ball jumps off guys' bats up here,'' Sowers said. ``The hitters are just better, so I don't have as much margin for error.''
Farm facts
Brian Barton singled and hit his 11th home run of the season, driving in three runs, as Kinston beat Salem 8-3 in Class A. Charles Lofgren (12-3, 2.11 ERA) gave up three runs and seven hits in six innings.... John Drennen had four hits, raising his average to .327, in Lake County's 7-1 loss to Greensboro in Class A.... Alfred Ard had four hits and two RBI, as Burlington beat Greenville 6-3 in Rookie League.
<!-- end body-content --><!-- begin body-end -->

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

7/16/06

TWINS 6 INDIANS 2

Santana, Twins stop Tribe for another win at home

Sunday, July 16, 2006


ASSOCIATED PRESS

<!--PHOTOS--><TABLE class=phototableright align=right border=0><!-- begin large ad code --><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>

</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>ERIC MILLER </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>ASSOCIATED PRESS </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Twins starter Johan Santana allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins mixed good fortune with bad breaks last night.
Taking advantage of the pitching of Johan Santana and weak defense by Cleveland, the Twins beat the Indians 6-2.
But the victory could be costly for Minnesota because of injuries to outfielders Torii Hunter and Shannon Stewart.
Santana (10-5) struck out seven and retired 15 of the first 17 Cleveland hitters. He allowed nine earned runs in 12 2 /3 innings in his previous two July starts.
"We came out aggressive," Minnesota catcher Mike Redmond said. "We threw a lot more fastballs and I think it paid off for the first four or five innings. He used his change-up well. To be successful you’ve got to change your pattern."
Cleveland starter C.C. Sabathia (7-5) allowed four earned runs and a season-high 13 hits in his league-best fourth complete game this year. The American League’s top pitcher in June struck out seven.
"I had a lot of two-strike counts and had chances to put a lot of hitters away, but they battled and put the bat on the ball," he said.
Hunter, who struck out swinging in the first inning against Sabathia, came out of the game after playing two innings. X-rays were inconclusive and a magnetic resonance imaging is expected today.
"He came in and said he couldn’t run," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "It’s more on the top of his foot toward the outer part of the little toe. He was hurting. He was close to having tears coming out of his eyes."
Hunter suffered a fracture of his left ankle last July 30 when he crashed into the wall in Boston, ending his season.
Stewart, who was the designated hitter last night, was placed on the 15-day disabled list after reinjuring his left plantar fascia.
Jason Bartlett and Justin Morneau each had three hits, and Nick Punto and Jason Tyner added two for the Twins, who have won 15 of 16 at home to improve to 32-11 there. Minnesota has won its last 15 home games when Santana pitched.
Travis Hafner hit his 27 th home run for Cleveland, which has lost six of eight.
Sabathia and the Indians fell behind 2-0 after just three Minnesota batters, but it wasn’t really the fault of the big lefthander.
First baseman Ben Broussard failed to corral Luis Castillo’s grounder, and Punto followed with a double into the right-field corner. The relay throw to the plate from second baseman Ronnie Belliard was about 5 feet wide of catcher Victor Martinez, allowing Castillo to score and moving Punto to third base.
Punto, who started at third base and moved to center field after Hunter’s injury, has hit in 14 of 15 games. He scored on a sacrifice fly by Redmond. A frustrated Sabathia then hit Michael Cuddyer with an 0-and-2 pitch. "They hit the ball where we weren’t quite a bit. Not that they were necessarily squaring it up a great deal, but they found holes and took advantage of opportunities," Cleveland manager Eric Wedge said.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

7/16/06

Ocker on the Indians

Moving Martinez to first has its baggage

Result probably wouldn't be bad, but is it worth it?

By Sheldon Ocker

<!-- begin body-content -->MINNEAPOLIS - So you've seen enough of Victor Martinez as the Indians' catcher.
The Tribe can't continue to have a guy behind the plate who throws out 7 percent of would-be base stealers. You buy the theory that the inability to control the running game has infected the rest of the defense and created a chaotic situation that has led directly to several losses.
You believe Martinez is capable of becoming at least a satisfactory defensive first baseman, and you can sense that Ben Broussard won't be on the team next year to get in his way.
Is there anything wrong with having a switch-hitting first baseman who doesn't hit 40 home runs and routinely amass 120 RBI?
Martinez is a first-rate hitter who combines an ability to make contact with above-average power. He isn't likely to finish among the top 10 American League home run hitters or run-producers, but he might go deep 30 times and drive in 100 runs in a good season.
And don't forget that he's likely to bat .300 and line lots of doubles into the gaps. What's more, by leaving the physical demands of catching behind, Martinez probably will lengthen his career as a productive hitter.
What a great idea. No negative consequences. A win-win situation everywhere you look. What are the Indians' deep-thinkers waiting for?
Unfortunately, there usually are billows of dark clouds lurking behind every silver lining.
It's no different here.
Let's start with the obvious: If Martinez doesn't catch, who will? Kelly Shoppach, you're raising your hand. Thanks for volunteering, but will you hit enough to merit an everyday position?
The accurate answer is, who knows? Shoppach hasn't spent enough time in the big leagues to get a solid read on his prospects as a hitter. As a minor-leaguer, he didn't exactly threaten to end the careers of opposing pitchers.
Shoppach has some power, and that's good. But he will have to become a more consistent contact hitter before he can make it as a regular behind the plate.
On the other hand, that's just me. Maybe General Manager Mark Shapiro and manager Eric Wedge would be content to make Shoppach their No. 1 catcher on the strength of his defense, which so far has been pretty good.
That wouldn't be a bad thing, if virtually every other position on the diamond were occupied by a player who can make an impact when he walks to the plate. That isn't the case.
The way the roster is constructed, I'm not sure the Tribe can afford to lose offense behind the plate. If you look at the traditional ways teams are built, the Indians are deficient in run production in left field and at third base.
Right field, with Casey Blake, still is an uncertainty. Blake had two promising seasons before falling on his sword in 2005. This year was his best to date until he strained an oblique. So we will have to see how he performs during the rest of the season.
If Shapiro can upgrade third base and left field with offensive specialists, it won't much matter if Shoppach claims a job on the basis of defense alone. But if those positions remain as they are, it would be difficult to live with Shoppach, unless he hits.
If not Shoppach, who? There are no catchers in the Indians' farm system ready to make the jump to the big leagues. Moreover, attempting to trade for a catcher who can hit and play defense would be like trying to turn Albert Belle into a Dr. Phil success story.
How about this idea: Victor Martinez as the everyday catcher. Yes, I know that's been tried. But keep this in mind: In 2004 and 2005, Martinez threw out at least 20 percent of runners who tried to steal.
This did not qualify him for any awards, but even that modest level of success kept rival teams from turning their running games into lethal weapons. You didn't hear alarms going off the past two years because of Martinez's throwing problems.
The question is, how did this part of his game deteriorate and can it be salvaged? The problem is not Martinez's arm. His throws have the velocity to beat most runners to second or third, if the pitchers do their jobs.
I think that's still a problem. This is only a theory, but after watching pitchers often fail to check runners at first and second, I wonder if they are thinking: ``Victor isn't going to throw anyone out anyway, so why even bother to hold these guys on? They're going to steal no matter what.''
For Martinez's part, he needs to do two things: Make his feet work in unison and not rush his throws. He's never going to be great at throwing out runners, but he might be adequate.
There's another potential pitfall in moving Martinez to first. What happens to Ryan Garko? He isn't having the greatest season at Buffalo, but he looks like a hitter to me, and I believe Shapiro, Wedge and others in the organization share that opinion.
Garko reportedly is doing well making the transition from catcher to first baseman. It's almost certain he will be ready to try to prove himself at the major-league level next year.
But if it's not at first, where will he play? Should Travis Hafner move over and let Garko be the designated hitter? I don't think so. Garko already demonstrated he wasn't a proficient catcher, so forget that.
How about the outfield? Not a good idea. He just learned to play first, and there doesn't seem to be any sentiment for changing his position again.
Fortunately for Shapiro and Wedge, deciding what to do with Martinez can await further developments. I'm sure there will be plenty of those.
<!-- end body-content --><!-- begin body-end -->

ABJ

7/16/06

Sheldon: I read with amazement your ``playoff chances are remote, but...

<!-- begin body-content -->Sheldon:
I read with amazement your ``playoff chances are remote, but don't trade yet,'' story. Your statement that the Tribe could contend if Tigers or White Sox slip was hard to swallow.
Cleveland is currently (as of Thursday) ranked 11th of the 14 teams in the American League. They are chasing 10 teams, not two. Three of those 10 will be division champions, which still leaves the Indians chasing seven teams for the wild card slot.
If you feel the Indians still have a shot at it, perhaps I should have included Baltimore and Tampa Bay in my list, as they are only a few games in back of the Tribe.

Steve Marks​

Dear Steve:
Now I understand why politicians frame issues in black and white, ignoring nuance and shades of gray.
You people ought to learn how to read. I do not believe the Indians will contend for a playoff spot this year. I do not believe the White Sox or Tigers will collapse.
What I said is that Mark Shapiro should wait to trade any veterans until the last possible date in July just in case the Tigers or White Sox go into a deep slump in the final three weeks of the month.
As you noted, I used the word ``remote'' in describing Cleveland's chances. That word does not refer to the instrument you use to turn on the TV and click onto the Cartoon Network.

Sheldon Ocker​

Sheldon:
I read your article about the Indians' playoff chance this year, and you have proved once again that you're an idiot.
Did you forget about the Minnesota Twins and about eight other teams that we would have to catch to get a wild card bid?
I always felt that you were the most arrogant sports writer in the Cleveland area, now you also take the prize for incompetency.

Michael Bruno​

Dear Michael:
And what awards have you ever won?

S.O.​

Sheldon:
Could you ask Bob Wickman if he would accept a trade to a contender for whom he would not close? Thanks a lot.

Ryan Hamilton​

Dear Ryan:
I'll get right on that. Can I tell him which team you want to send him to? Would he pitch in a lesser role or play another position entirely? Are you thinking along the lines of shortstop? I didn't think about any of this on my own, so thanks a lot.

S.O.​

​

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

7/16/06

Carmona could remain

<!-- begin body-content -->MINNEAPOLIS - in Indians' bullpen plans
Rookie right-hander Fausto Carmona has raised his status from a middle inning reliever to the Indians' setup man.
But his future remains in doubt. Will he continue to pitch out of the bullpen or go back to being a starter, as he was in the minors?
``I think we'll have a pretty good idea by the end of the season,'' Indians manager Eric Wedge said on Saturday. ``As long as we stay solidified with our starters, which I anticipate, we should be able to make a decision.''
That appears to mean Carmona won't move into the rotation unless General Manager Mark Shapiro trades a starter during the season or makes a move over the winter.
One thing is clear: Because he is so obviously talented, Carmona will be groomed either as a starter or future closer.
``I think that's what it has to end up being,'' Wedge said.
As for saving games this year when Bob Wickman is unavailable, the manager added: ``We would hope to get him out there. But it takes time to get a feel for a guy (who is closing). It's not something you know in a few outings. And we've been fooled before.''
CATCHING CARMONA -- What problems do pitchers with velocity and excessive movement present to a catcher?
``It ain't fun at all catching Fausto,'' Kelly Shoppach said. ``If you don't catch it right, it hurts.''
Paying close attention to each pitch isn't just a cliche, either.
``The only advantage you have is knowing what's coming,'' Shoppach said. ``So you have to be locked in.''
TWO TOO MANY -- Victor Martinez began Saturday night's game ranked third in the league in grounding into double plays with 18 (Miguel Tejada was No. 1 with 23).
Not that much can be done about it.
``It's just part of the game,'' Wedge said. ``Unfortunately, Victor's a slow runner, and when he puts the ball on the ground, it's going to be a double play.''
What if Wedge starts the runner at first?
``When you talk about starting runners, you do it when there's a 3-and-2 or 3-and-1 count,'' Wedge said. ``But Victor doesn't usually get that deep in the count, so unless you have a guy who can steal on first, it's a tough thing to do.''
FARM FACTS -- Ryan Garko singled, homered and drove in three runs, and Andy Marte had two hits and two RBI, as Buffalo defeated Indianapolis 7-5.... Dustin Realini had two hits, including a homer, and drove in three runs, as Mahoning Valley beat Lowell 5-4.... Jared Head hit two home runs and amassed seven RBI in Burlington's 8-1 win over Greeneville.

-- SHELDON OCKER​

​

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

7/17/06

Learning lessons aplenty

Metrodome provides humbling experience in Indians' loss

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->MINNEAPOLIS - Jeremy Sowers began a new phase of his education as a major-league pitcher Sunday, as the Indians lost to the Minnesota Twins 5-2.
Graduating from Vanderbilt offered little help in the 23-year-old's introduction to pitching indoors. He had to live the experience, whether he liked it or not.
And so inadvertently, Sowers became enrolled in Metrodome 101, a description of which includes this: ``How to cope with your feelings of helplessness after watching one of your outfielders lose a ball in the billowy gray ceiling.''
Sowers had started 45 professional games before Sunday and had never thrown a pitch under cover.
``It's unique,'' he said. ``I never pitched in a dome before. It's definitely a different sound, like an echo, a louder sound. And the ball travels faster on the turf.''
Those things are beside the point. What about when Todd Hollandsworth had no idea exactly where to stand to catch a fly hit to him in left field by Rondell White in the fourth inning.
``I had a general idea of where it was, but that didn't do much good,'' Hollandsworth said. ``I didn't actually see it until it hit the turf. It could have landed 50 feet behind me for all I knew.''
And hit the turf it did. By the time Hollandsworth pounced on it, White was pulling into second with a double and Justin Morneau, who singled, was standing on third.
The only saving grace: There were two outs, but Jason Tyner followed with a two-run single before Sowers retired the side in an inning that included a solo home run by Michael Cuddyer.
Hollandsworth also was new to the Metrodome. The first time he played in the ballpark was Friday night, when he was stationed in right field.
``I heard about this place, so I wanted to get ready and get ready and get ready,'' said Hollandsworth, who took fly balls the entire weekend without enduring problems.
``This is only a theory, but maybe when the place is filled with people, you lose the blue seats,'' he said. ``That's the only thing I can think of. All I know is that Jeremy pitched lights out, so this was on me.''
Hollandsworth noted that Tyner played a little timidly in left, maybe because he was just called up from Triple-A over the weekend.
``It's a tough place to play the outfield, and I got had,'' Hollandsworth said. ``I hear they're getting a new stadium here, hopefully by next year.''
Sowers put the fluke double in perspective, saying, ``It hurt me because I wasn't able to get Tyner out. Things (like unseen fly balls) happen in baseball.''
In addition to allowing the home run to Cuddyer, Sowers gave up solo homers to White and Luis Castillo, so technically Tyner's two-run single didn't beat him.
``The home runs weren't on very good pitches,'' Sowers said. ``They were down the middle, probably up a little. But as long as they're solos, you (usually) can get by.''
Sowers worked seven innings, his longest outing in the big leagues, giving up 11 hits but no walks. He induced the Twins to bounce into three double plays and hit into four total.
In 22 2/3 innings, he has given up seven homers.
``I thought Jeremy threw the ball well,'' Indians manager Eric Wedge said. ``He was very efficient with his (81) pitches. For a young pitcher, he's able to limit the damage (with the home runs).''
The Tribe couldn't afford to give up two undeserved runs, because they have suddenly stopped hitting.
Against Carlos Silva, who had a 7.00 ERA coming in, Indians batters managed only five hits and both runs in six innings. In Silva's previous two outings, he had given up 10 runs in six innings.
``It was almost like we were always in-between against him,'' Wedge said. ``We were tardy on the fastball and too quick on the change-up. You can't hit like that.''
Grady Sizemore led off the game with a home run, and Casey Blake drove in a run with a third-inning single.
In the past three games of the series, all losses, the Tribe scored six runs and batted .192. Ironically, the Indians' best offensive showing came in the first game against one of the year's most dominating pitchers, Francisco Liriano, who gave up five runs -- including three homers -- in five innings.
``It seemed like the whole series, we couldn't get any mojo going at the plate,'' Hollandsworth said. ``You have to tip your hat to them. Today we hit some balls hard, but.... ''

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

7/17/06

Indians lacking leadership

Wedge says team needs someone to assume role

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->MINNEAPOLIS - Manager Eric Wedge thinks the Indians have suffered this season from a lack of leadership in the clubhouse.
``I have always said that what these guys can do for each other is a lot more than what anybody else can do for them,'' Wedge said Sunday.
It's questionable whether leaders are made or born, but in baseball at least two things seem to be true: Position players make more effective leaders because they play every day, and it's more difficult for inexperienced players to take control of a clubhouse.
``Some of our (relatively) younger players have to step up,'' Wedge said. ``They are the guys who have been here the longest. But I don't think anybody has taken hold of that (role).
``Last year, Kevin Millwood and Scott Elarton were guys who could do it, but ideally leaders should be position players.''
Wedge still thinks one or more leaders will emerge, but he doesn't know when.
``It's disappointing that it hasn't happened yet, but things don't necessarily happen on your timetable,'' he said. ``I always want it to happen yesterday. But it's very rare in the game these days (to find leaders), not just here.''
``I think it's tough for young people to get in front of their peers and put themselves out there like that.''
It's difficult to quantify what the lack of leadership has cost the Tribe this year -- ``It's a thousand little things that happen,'' Wedge said -- but the manager can cite specific days when it's important for someone in the clubhouse to assert himself.
``There are certain points in time that come across as bigger than others,'' Wedge said. ``This is one of those gut-check days. You don't want to start out (the second half) losing three of the first four games.''
Bottom line, can a team succeed without take-charge players in the clubhouse?
``You can win,'' Wedge said, ``but it's tough to win a championship without them.''
<!-- end body-content --><!-- begin body-end -->