Indians Tidbits (2006 season)..

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

wow...another blown save....

ABJ

8/3/06

Another lost save burns Indians

Young Fausto Carmona melts down as Tribe loses at Fenway 6-5

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->BOSTON - If this keeps up, a certain type of blown save will become known as a demolished save or a pulverized save.
The question is: Even at this early juncture in the career of Fausto Carmona, how long can Indians' officials allow this to go on?
Carmona blew his second save in as many tries Wednesday night, as the Indians lost 6-5 to the Red Sox at Fenway Park in a flurry of hit batters and nearly hit batters.
If anything, Carmona's most recent meltdown was even more spectacular than Monday night's, when he gave up a three-run walk-off homer to David Ortiz in a 9-8 Tribe defeat.
This time, Carmona struck out Wily Mo Pena and Coco Crisp to start the ninth inning. So how could things go so wrong so quickly?
``Fausto began overthrowing and then things got away from him,'' manager Eric Wedge said. ``He looked like he was in a hurry to get that third out.''
Pitching coach Carl Willis went to the mound to express the same thoughts to Carmona during the final inning.
``I told him to slow things down, that he didn't have to overthrow,'' Willis said. ``A lot of young pitchers will get the first two outs in an inning and struggle to get the third. So I tried to get him to slow down and get his composure.''
Hitting Doug Mirabelli with a 3-and-2 pitch started Carmona down the path to oblivion. From there on out, he seemed destined to fail.
Alex Gonzalez followed Mirabelli to the plate, and Carmona hit him with the first pitch, then walked Kevin Youkilis to load the bases.
The rest was anticlimactic and inevitable. Carmona almost nailed Mark Loretta with a fastball. Two pitches later, Loretta smacked a double off the wall to score two runs and win the game.
This is not the end of the Great Carmona Experiment, but at this point there is reason to believe he will not be the closer for 2007.
Not only has Carmona blown two saves, but last Sunday against Seattle, he failed to hold a 3-3 tie in the ninth, allowing four runs to ensure the loss.
`We'll keep sending Fausto back out there,'' Wedge said. ``He's a young pitcher that's developing as a closer and learning from his experiences.''
Jeremy Sowers came into the game having thrown consecutive shutouts, and his consecutive scoreless inning streak reached 22 before he gave up four hard-hit balls to finally end it in the fifth inning.
The first laser shot, a line drive by Doug Mirabelli, landed in the glove of shortstop Jhonny Peralta for the second out of the inning, but nobody came close to catching the next three.
Alex Gonzalez began the rally with a ringing double to right and scored on Kevin Youkilis' double to left. Mark Loretta completed the scoring with an RBI single.
Thankfully for Sowers, the next batter was David Ortiz, arguably the most dangerous hitter in the big leagues. Sowers struck him out.
``These guys are a little different kind of hitters,'' Sowers said. ``They know how to work the count. They forced me to get my pitch count up. They were able to get me up to 90 pitches (actually, 88) in five innings.''
Asked about the difficulty of pitching at Fenway with its packed grandstand of avid fans, Sowers said, ``There's something to it. But if you keep the ball down, it's not going to go over the Green Monster.
``The way I pitch, it shouldn't make any difference, because I'm trying to keep the ball on the ground.''
The Indians' advantage vanished on the third pitch by Brian Sikorsky, who took over for Sowers to start the sixth. Manny Ramirez locked onto a high fastball and drove a ball over the Green Monster in left to tie the score.
It was Ramirez's 465th career homer, tying him with Dave Winfield for 26th on the all-time list. It also marked the 11th season the former Cleveland outfield had gone deep at least 30 times.
One out later, Pena put the Red Sox in front with a drive that reached the seats above the left field wall at warp speed.
After that, Sikorski settled down and finished the inning. It was too little, too late and the first time Sikorski has made a negative impact in a game.
The five-year veteran of the Japanese major leagues has pitched only six times for the Tribe, a total of 7 1/3 innings. Coincidentally, but maybe not, all the runs he has allowed have come on home runs, four in all.
Before Wednesday night, he allowed solo homers to Juan Rivera of the Angels and Ben Broussard of the Mariners. Except for Pena's long ball, all the home runs have led off an inning.
What this means for Sikorski and his future will be left for others to decide, particularly if his disturbing tendency continues.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

8/3/06

Blake keeps up pace set early in season

Despite '06 success, he has some insecurities

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->BOSTON - Now that the season has passed the 100-game mark, it's clear that Casey Blake's fast start was no apparition.
After a disappointing 2005, when Blake batted .241 with 23 home runs and 58 RBI, there was speculation that he had overachieved for a couple of years and was settling back into mediocrity.
That obviously is not the case. Going into Wednesday night's game against the Red Sox, the Indians' right fielder was batting .305 with 15 home runs and 49 RBI, despite missing 30 games, mostly because of a strained oblique muscle.
``You talk about a being a consistent professional,'' manager Eric Wedge said. ``Casey is a great teammate, puts up very good at-bats, uses the whole field and has some power.''
Since coming off the disabled list on July 13, Blake is batting .310 with five homers and 13 RBI.
Despite his solid play since coming to Cleveland as an anonymous backup third baseman in the winter of 2002, Blake isn't quite sure he can trust his success.
``Sometimes a player like that has a greater appreciation of things,'' Wedge said. ``And he holds on to it.''
Being asked to move from third to right to (occasionally) first base feeds Blake's insecurities.
``When they move me to other positions, I sometimes think they see me gravitating toward being a utility player,'' he said. ``I might end up doing that some day, but I don't think it's now.''
Wedge looks at Blake's versatility as a plus for the team, not as a sign that Blake is unworthy of being a regular.
Asked if he views Blake as next year's everyday right fielder or as a regular who might play elsewhere, Wedge said, ``I look at Casey as a guy who will play every day somewhere. It might be right field, but depending on the makeup of the club, Casey could move around.''
In looking back at last season, Blake said, ``I try not to look at last year. There wasn't a whole lot of good that came out of it.''
So what made the difference this season?
``I think it was just getting off to a good start,'' Blake said. ``I didn't get off to a fast start last year or the year before. But in 2004, I was able to come out of it before the at-bats started piling up.''
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

8/4/06

Choo's slam powers Tribe

Hafner and Boone also homer against Red Sox. Davis gets save

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->BOSTON - Choo on this one: The Indians finally held a lead in the ninth inning to beat the Boston Red Sox 7-6 Thursday night at Fenway Park.
Moreover, the Choo-Choo train that drove the offense was a grand slam off the bat of Shin-Soo Choo, the first of his career.
Choo became a member of the Tribe when Ben Broussard was traded to the Seattle Mariners on July 26. He homered in his first game for Cleveland but had been relatively quiet since.
``I hit that really good,'' Choo said. ``I look for a fastball middle in.''
And he got it. He's also going to keep it -- the ball, that is, which was returned to him.
Choo had help against the Red Sox from Travis Hafner and Aaron Boone, who also went deep, as home runs accounted for all of the Indians' runs.
Maybe the biggest Tribe hero of the game was Jason Davis, who is not the team's closer but retired the side in order in the ninth to earn his first save of the season.
``He did a great job,'' Indians manager Eric Wedge said. ``And he had to run through the middle of their lineup.''
Davis had to face David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez and Doug Mirabelli.
The Tribe lost two games in the series because rookie closer Fausto Carmona failed to hold leads in the ninth inning.
Jake Westbrook put together a neat little 15-hitter, and that was in eight innings. But believe it or not, he really didn't pitch that badly, even though he allowed six runs.
Two important Boston doubles -- both advanced rallies -- barely stayed inside the third-base foul line, and the Red Sox got good mileage out of two bloop hits plus a bunt single.
``That was a warrior effort from Jake Westbrook in getting us through eight,'' Wedge said. ``He gave up some ground balls that found holes, but he never gave into it.''
Westbrook (8-7, 4.45 ERA) is the first pitcher in the majors this year to give up 15 hits and the first since 1988 to give up that many hits and win.
``We'll take it,'' Wedge said.
``Weird night,'' Westbrook said. ``If I had given that one (lead) up, I really would have been fired up. I gave up a lot of hits, but there were a lot of singles.''
Asked if he was surprised Wedge left him in, Westbrook said, ``I think they were seeing what I was seeing: a lot of ground balls and I was pretty much in control of the game.''
The biggest thing that kept Westbrook in the game was his command. His lone walk was intentionally issued to Ortiz, and he allowed just three extra-base hits, all doubles.
Josh Beckett (13-6, 5.00 ERA) has been a phenom waiting to bust out for several seasons. But despite coming into the game with a 13-5 record, he has experienced a singular lack of success against the Indians, in two starts giving up 15 earned runs and six homers in 9 2/3 innings.
Thursday night, he was totally in charge for five innings, allowing only one run on Boone's one-out homer in the third.
But in the sixth it was as if he suddenly lost all sense of his capabilities, and line drives began landing all over the field and beyond it.
``Beckett had good stuff,'' Wedge said. ``Better than at our place.''
Joe Inglett started the six-run rally with a one-out single, and Hafner slammed his 31st home run over the wall in right.
Victor Martinez and Casey Blake followed with singles, and Todd Hollandsworth reached when third baseman Mike Lowell failed to handle his bouncer toward the shortstop hole for another hit that loaded the bases.
Filling the bases isn't necessarily a wise move for the Indians. In the previous seven times they had done it, they scored a total of one run, that on a ground out.
Choo likely didn't know anything about this arcane statistic, which probably is just as well. He took aim at Beckett's first pitch and sent it soaring to the deepest part of the ballpark, landing in the seats adjacent to the 420-foot sign just to the right of straight-away center field.
``It also was against the wind,'' Wedge said. ``I saw a lot of balls die out there.''
Hector Luna followed with a single, giving the Tribe seven consecutive hits, before Boone ended the inning by hitting a soft liner to first that Kevin Youkilis turned into a double play.
Beckett was charged with all the runs, 11 hits and three more homers in six innings.
The Indians' difficulty scoring with the bases loaded continued after being interrupted by Choo's slam. With a chance to put the game out of reach in the seventh, Blake bounced into a bases-loaded double play to end the threat.
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Wedge to stick with Carmona

Wickman's replacement will get more chances despite three meltdowns

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->BOSTON - Plan B, whatever that might be, will have to wait.
Fausto Carmona has suffered three ninth-inning meltdowns in as many tries, but he will remain the Indians' closer until further notice.
Eric Wedge gave Carmona Thursday night off, but the manager vowed to use the 22-year-old rookie the next time the Tribe needs a reliever to preserve a lead in the ninth inning.
``I'll be ready to go back to him tomorrow,'' Wedge said.
Carmona failed to hang on to a 5-4 lead over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, loading the bases on two hit batters and a walk, then giving up a two-run double to Mark Loretta. He had struck out the first two batters.
``It was difficult,'' said Carmona through his interpreter, first base coach Luis Rivera. ``This is something new for me, and I have to learn from the good and the bad. But I always stay positive.''
After being named closer following the trade of Bob Wickman on July 20, Carmona was forced to wait until Monday night to get a save opportunity, which he blew by giving up a three-run homer to David Ortiz.
Carmona also failed to hold a 3-3 tie Sunday in Cleveland, when he gave up four runs in the ninth to the Seattle Mariners.
In his three ninth-inning outings, Carmona has given up nine runs, six hits and two walks and hit three batters in two innings.
Carmona was a career starter in the minors and in his first three big-league appearances. But because of a need for relievers, he was shifted to the bullpen in mid-May, working his way up to setup man.
Asked which is easier for him, starting or closing, Carmona said: ``It doesn't make any difference. You have to get people out. But this is a new role for me.''
Carmona believes he can become a successful closer.
``Just because it didn't work out the first two times,'' he said, ``doesn't mean I can't do it.''
If Carmona can get that first save out of the way, it might ease the pressure on him.
``Maybe, but I haven't done it yet,'' he said. ``I'll let you know when when I do.''
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

8/4/06

Firing Wedge not answer

Season's flop proves Tribe needs to spend more on talent

By Terry Pluto

<!-- begin body-content -->General Manager Mark Shapiro has no plans to fire Eric Wedge as the Tribe's manager.
``It would be absurd'' to fire Wedge, he said. ``He was second in the voting for manager of the year last season. In his first three years, he took a team from 68 to 80 to 93 wins. This has been a horrific, painful year. All of us need to take responsibility and take a close look at what went wrong.''
So Wedge will be back next season?
``That's my intention,'' said Shapiro. ``It's too easy to make a manager a scapegoat -- and at the first real sign of adversity, to fire him. We are all accountable, but I also think this season will make us all better.''
Shapiro has been impressed that the team has not self-destructed in a season of loss and doubt.
``We haven't had guys criticizing each other in the paper or asking to be traded,'' he said. ``We don't have guys causing problems. Eric deserves some credit for that.''
Then Shapiro added, ``I'm as responsible for this season as much as anyone.''
Shapiro realizes he had a rough winter, and that's part of the reason Wedge will return.
Tribe fans know the litany of mistakes: signing Jason Johnson, trading Brandon Phillips, not re-signing Bob Howry and the major decline of Aaron Boone.
The Coco Crisp trade with the Boston Red Sox also hurt in the short run. Rookie Andy Marte just arrived at third base and obviously has not progressed as fast as the Indians had hoped.
Right now, the most promising player from the Crisp deal is Kelly Shoppach. The rookie can catch and has a good arm. Heading into Thursday night's game, Shoppach was batting .258 with two home runs and nine RBI. The Indians want to play him against lefties, where his average is .346.
He also has thrown out five out of 12 baserunners, compared with 13 out of 81 for Victor Martinez. The plan for next year is that Shoppach will catch at least 50 games, allowing Martinez to take a break from all that squatting behind home plate. Martinez would catch about 100 games and play another 50 at first base.
In fact, that should have been the setup this season, only Wedge refused to use Shoppach early in the year. That was a mistake that must be directly blamed on the manager.
Wrong move
The decision to keep Ramon Vazquez over Phillips (.294, eight homers, 49 RBI, 20 stolen bases) was Wedge's idea. It collided with Shapiro's instinct to hang on to prospects. He shipped Phillips to the Cincinnati Reds for a low minor-leaguer, trading him at the moment when his value was lowest, because teams cut their rosters at the end of spring training.
No one knows if Phillips would have blossomed here. He would have opened as the utility infielder. But Shapiro often said the Indians lacked depth at second base and short, where Phillips is an above-average fielder. Wedge believed Phillips would pout because he wasn't starting.
Shapiro needed to tell Wedge: ``Let's open the season with him, and if he's a problem, I can trade him later. I can always find you a Ramon Vazquez. In fact, we can send Vazquez to Buffalo and not even need waivers. He's a phone call away.''
The presence of Phillips would have pushed shortstop Jhonny Peralta, who has struggled with the glove and has moments when he just seems uninterested. It also would have allowed Shapiro to trade future free agent Ronnie Belliard, knowing he had a replacement in Phillips. Belliard has been traded, but no one is sure who will replace him at second.
The reason to examine the Phillips situation in depth is that the fault for what went wrong lies as much with Shapiro as it does with Wedge -- and the general manager has to know it.
Fundamental problems
Shapiro said the team has ``underachieved.''
He has been upset about the baserunning mistakes, the errors, the general disdain for basic fundamentals. For all Wedge's pleas and demands to ``play the game right'' and ``respect the game,'' the Indians commit far too many mental and physical errors.
Another problem is Wedge's reluctance to use his bench. He is a basic by-the-book manager, much like Mike Hargrove, who often said, ``Regulars are regulars for a reason.''
But Hargrove's regulars had a lot more talent than those managed by Wedge, who is being challenged to platoon and change some of his thinking. That's not easy for a man whose steadiness can turn to stubbornness.
One of the things the front office wants to see is if Wedge will creatively use young players such as Shin-Soo Choo, Hector Luna, Marte and Shoppach. The days of an All-Star at every position are long gone for the Tribe.
This is the first time in his managerial career at any level that Wedge has struggled to reach his players. At one point, he mentioned he thought some players ``may be too comfortable.''
Whose fault is that?
Although Wedge has been more critical of his players this year than at any other time in his four seasons, he still comes across as overprotective.
A few weeks ago, he made an embarrassing excuse for Peralta: ``Jhonny is seeing different plays and situations.''
What does that mean?
Just say Peralta needs to pay more attention and do a better job, period.
At another juncture, he talked about the Indians missing the leadership of pitchers Kevin Millwood and Scott Elarton, two members of last season's rotation. Rarely are starting pitchers leaders. Besides, this team has trouble catching the ball and running the bases.
Wedge has moved off that theme, but it's clear he's searching for answers as he battles bigger questions than he had ever faced.
Looking ahead
Shapiro believes this season can ``make us better.''
No one says it, but both men have been humbled by being in charge of perhaps baseball's most disappointing team. For all of Shapiro's talk about Wedge being his ``partner'' -- a word not mentioned in this discussion -- it's clear Shapiro is learning that he has to be the ultimate guy in charge and assemble the roster he deems best.
Wedge should understand that more patience is needed for talented players such as Phillips.
Shapiro cashed out this season, trading off veterans who were approaching free agency to pick up prospects and cut payroll. Gone are Bob Wickman, Ronnie Belliard, Ben Broussard and Eduardo Perez. Of the players acquired, only Choo is on the big-league roster in what has become an extended 2006 spring training.
Shapiro knows he can't fault Wedge for most of what happens the rest of this season, given the depleted roster.
Everything is pointing toward 2007, and the collapse of the team this season should do more than cause Shapiro and Wedge to revise some of their thinking. It screams for ownership to supply more money for the player payroll.
What this season shows is that the talent level wasn't nearly as gifted or as deep as the Indians once believed.
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INDIANS NOTEBOOK

<!-- begin body-content -->BOSTON - Peralta progresses
in avoiding errors
Going into Thursday night's game, Jhonny Peralta was riding a string of 17 errorless games at shortstop.
``I think Jhonny's making progress,'' manager Eric Wedge said. ``He just needs to do it every day.''
With 13 errors, Peralta was on pace to commit 20 in the season. Last year, he made 19.
TELLTALE SIGN -- Wedge is not giving up on making Fausto Carmona his closer. But if the rookie continues to struggle, how would Wedge know when to call it off?
``You look at the mental side of it first,'' the manager said. ``You look at consistency and mental toughness, then you see how his stuff plays out.''
FIRST IMPRESSION -- Andy Marte has yet to hit safely in 12 at-bats, but he has played solid defense at third, which is considered to be a weakness.
``I'm really pleased with what he's done defensively,'' Wedge said. ``And I like his awareness on the field.''
As for Marte's offense, the manager said: ``His early work and batting practice are getting better. He's also doing quality work with (hitting coach) Derek Shelton.''
FARM FACTS -- Mike Butia had two doubles and two RBI as Lake County beat Greenville 6-5.... Luis Valdez (6-2, 3.00 ERA) gave up one run in five innings in Mahoning Valley's 5-4 win over Batavia.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

8/5/06

TIGERS 7 INDIANS 6

Cabrera serves up decisive 2-run HR

Saturday, August 05, 2006

Scott Priestle
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>PAUL SANCYA ASSOCIATED PRESS </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Tigers third baseman Brandon Inge hangs on to a foul ball hit by Victor Martinez in the fifth inning. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


DETROIT — Trades, injuries and general ineffectiveness in the bullpen have forced Cleveland Indians manager Eric Wedge to play a daily game of reliever roulette. It is not a safe way to preserve one’s sanity, or a team’s psyche.
With the potential tying runs on base in the eighth inning last night and the surging Detroit Tigers making another charge, Wedge gambled on Fernando Cabrera.
The 24-year-old right-hander has been as vexing as any of his teammates, looking like a closer-in-waiting one night and a castoff-in-waiting the next. He felt like the former when he jogged in from the bullpen but looked like the latter when he walked off the mound.
Cabrera surrendered a decisive two-run homer to Craig Monroe with two outs and two strikes in the eighth inning, sending the Tribe to a 7-6 loss before a sellout crowd in Comerica Park.
It was the Indians’ fourth loss in their past six games, all of them in their opponent’s final at-bat. Fausto Carmona blew leads in the ninth inning Monday and Wednesday, after giving up the decisive runs in the ninth inning of a tie game last Sunday.
The Indians had leads of 5-0 and 6-2 last night. They led 6-4 entering the eighth, before Rafael Betancourt surrendered two singles and Cabrera allowed a sacrifice fly and the home run.
"I wanted to be out there. I wanted to be on the mound in that situation," Cabrera said. "But I keep making mistakes and I paid the price. That’s the way it’s been the whole year —mistakes, mistakes, mistakes. It’s hard."
Cabrera is at his best when he throws his 95 mph fastball down in the strike zone and complements it with a darting slider or split-finger fastball, but his fastball was consistently belt-high last night. Carlos Guillen and Monroe each launched one that curved just wide of the foul pole. Monroe homered on the next pitch.
"We have young men in the bullpen who have to understand that when they come in the ballgame, they have to be ready to make their best pitch from the first pitch," Wedge said. "If they don’t, they have to make adjustments with the second pitch. We have to know what we can expect."
The Tigers’ rally spoiled another eye-opening performance by Indians rookie right fielder Shin-Soo Choo, who hit two doubles, drove in two runs and made a diving catch in right field that prevented a sure two-run double and momentarily protected a tworun lead.
Indians starter Cliff Lee allowed four runs in 6 1 /3 innings. All four runs came in the span of eight batters in the sixth and seventh, as the Tigers hit two doubles and a triple.
It continued an unfortunate trend for Lee: Within his first 60 pitches, he has held opponents to a .255 average and a .390 slugging percentage. Beyond 60 pitches, opponents are hitting .322 with a .514 slugging percentage. In other words, every Omar Infante becomes Magglio Ordonez once Lee has reached 60 pitches, which he did after five innings last night.
"He’s a strong young man. You don’t expect him to have those types of innings, or to hit a wall like that," Wedge said. "He has to work through that. I know he wants to stay out there, but to do that he has to keep making pitches."
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INDIANS NOTEBOOK
Carmona will keep his job as closer
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Scott Priestle
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
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DETROIT — Fausto Carmona’s routine did not change yesterday. By 3 p.m., he was running the steps in Comerica Park. Then he threw on his headphones and relaxed in the players’ lounge, before shagging fly balls during batting practice.
His role did not change, either. Manager Eric Wedge reiterated before the game that Carmona remains his closer, despite suffering blown saves in each of his first two opportunities.
"We want him to get that experience," Wedge said.
Jason Davis picked up the save Thursday, because Wedge wanted to give Carmona and setup man Rafael Betancourt a night off. All three were available last night.
Carmona declined to comment yesterday. He told reporters Thursday that he remains confident he can handle the pressure of pitching the ninth inning.
"There are going to be better days," he said through first-base coach Luis Rivera.
Carmona took the loss in three straight outings, allowing nine runs in two innings. Pitching coach Carl Willis believes nerves were the primary factor.
"His mechanics definitely got out of whack, but mainly that was because he was trying to do too much," Willis said.
Carmona’s fastball broke more than normal, and he had trouble controlling it. He plunked Doug Mirabelli and Alex Gonzalez on consecutive pitches, both sinking fastballs that started up in the strike zone and broke in more than down.
Catcher Kelly Shoppach called for more sliders and change-ups that night than in previous outings. Because those pitches require more precision, the hope was that it would force Carmona to concentrate on his mechanics more than his velocity.
Crowded walls

Davis saved the ball from his first career save, just as he saved balls from his first win and first home run, among other career highlights. He said he is not sure what he will do with them, except that they will not be displayed on the walls of his home.
"No room," he said with a smile. "Too many stuffed deer heads on the walls."
Davis is an avid hunter and taxidermist.
Aero dynamic

Adam Miller is 5-0 with a 0.49 ERA in his past six starts for double-A Akron and 12-5 with a 3.01 ERA for the season. He was slowed last season by a strained elbow ligament. Otherwise, he might be in the big leagues by now. ... Aeros center fielder Trevor Crowe returned from the disabled list Thursday and went 2 for 4 with a double. He is hitting .331 with a .442 on-base percentage and 38 stolen bases between Akron and high-Class A Kinston, despite missing 2 1 /2 weeks because of a sprained left ankle.
[email protected]

 

[aurorabuckeye13]

wow... Carmona blows 3rd stright save and gives up a walkoff homer to Ivan Rodriguez. Every game is being lost in just about the same way lately.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

8/6/06

TIGERS 4 INDIANS 3

Carmona comes close but fails to close

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Scott Priestle
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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DETROIT — For the fourth time in seven days, Fausto Carmona was forced to make the slow, sad walk off the field last night.
The Cleveland Indians hoped the 22-year-old with the flamethrower of an arm could be their closer for the foreseeable future, but now they have to wonder how badly his psyche has been burned.
Carmona allowed a two-out, two-run homer to Ivan Rodriguez in the ninth inning that gave the Detroit Tigers a 4-3 win.
It was Carmona’s fourth loss in his past four appearances and his third blown save in as many chances since replacing Bob Wickman as closer. Victor Martinez put an arm around the rookie as they walked off the field, and manager Eric Wedge walked with him from the dugout to the clubhouse.
Wedge was not ready to announce a new hierarchy, but it is hard to imagine him sending Carmona out to protect a lead in the ninth inning anytime soon.
"We just have to look at everything," Wedge said. "We still feel Fausto has closer’s stuff. That’s the second time in a row he was one pitch away, one play away."
Adding injury to insult, first baseman Casey Blake left the game in the top of the ninth because of a sprained right ankle. X-rays were negative, and he will be re-evaluated today.
Blake rolled the ankle on a play at second base and had to be helped off the field, an unfortunate omen in an inning that has meant doom for the Indians of late.
They have held the lead in the eighth or ninth of the past six games but have only two wins. It is a potentially traumatic way to transition to life without Wickman, the veteran closer who was traded to Atlanta in July.
"I don’t feel good about the situation because of the results," Carmona said through first-base coach Luis Rivera, "but I’m going to keep my head up and go after the hitters."
Brandon Inge began the ninth with a bunt single. Carmona struck out Curtis Granderson and got Placido Polanco to hit into a fielder’s choice, but Rodriguez lined the next pitch over the fence.
"I was feeling good. I was throwing the ball well," Carmona said. "I just missed my location that pitch."
Jason Davis preceded Carmona by throwing 1 1 /3 scoreless innings. He stranded two runners in the seventh, then had to work overtime in the eighth after two defensive lapses, and he stranded two more.
Starter Paul Byrd also had an encouraging outing, limiting the Tigers to two runs (one earned) in 6 2 /3 innings. He had allowed 13 runs and 19 hits in seven innings of his previous two starts.
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Dispatch

8/6/06

INDIANS NOTEBOOK
Choo gets chance to hit against left-handers
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Scott Priestle
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
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DETROIT — As he walked toward the batting cage yesterday, rookie Shin-Soo Choo stopped in front of a TV long enough to watch Cincinnati Reds left-hander Bill Bray finish off the Atlanta Braves by striking out Adam LaRoche with a slider in the dirt.
Choo smiled, shook his head and said in mock disgust, "Lefties. Ugh."
Choo hit .360 against right-handers in triple-A this season but only .185 (15 for 81) against lefties. He did not face a lefty with the Indians until last night, when he started against Kenny Rogers. Manager Eric Wedge said Choo will be in the lineup again today against lefty Wilfredo Ledezma.
"I’m not looking for anything in particular," Wedge said. "I just want to see how his at-bats are. He’s been a big part of our offense since he came over."
Entering last night, Choo was 6 for 18 with two home runs and two doubles since being traded to Cleveland from Seattle.
He said he fared well against lefties in the low minors.
"Now, they throw an inside fastball for a strike, then it’s sliders and curves," he said. "In the low minors, everything was middle and away. They’re better now. I’ll find out how to hit them."
Help wanted

The Indians have a number of talented young candidates for the bullpen next season, but Wedge acknowledged that the Indians will look outside the organization this winter.
"Sitting here right now, I would say our bullpen is wide open," Wedge said. "For the remainder of this season, we have to figure out what we have down there and what their roles could be."
Fernando Cabrera, Jason Davis, Jeremy Guthrie and Andrew Brown — each of whom is capable of throwing 97 mph or harder — will be out of minor-league options next season, meaning they could not be sent to triple-A without first clearing waivers. Each has shown the potential to be a dominant late-inning reliever, but none has shown enough consistency.
There will be some tough decisions come March.
Cabrera, for instance, entered the season as the closer-in-waiting but has a 6.10 ERA, allowing 23 walks in 38 1 /3 innings. He has struggled with his fastball.
"Sometimes the mental leads to the fundamental," Wedge said. "He never got on a roll to get the confidence level he had last year."
On the board
Andy Marte has a history of slow starts with each step up the organizational ladder, so it was not a surprise that he went hitless in his first 13 at-bats with the Indians. But he breathed a sigh of relief when his flare to shallow center field fell for a base hit Friday. In his next at-bat, Marte lined an RBI single to left. "Finally," he said with a smile. "I told my teammates, ‘I just need a bloop or something for my first one.’ " Both hits came on sliders from Tigers starter Jeremy Bonderman. "I have to learn to hit that," Marte said. "I’m going to see a lot of those." [email protected]

 

[Rofgimmar]

To early.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

8/7/06

Tribe bats go silent in shutout by Tigers

Bullpen never gets chance after Sabathia's costly error

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->DETROIT - Nobody can accuse the Indians of being in a rut.
After losing four games on their seven-game foray to Boston and Detroit because of faulty relief pitching in the opponents' final at-bat, the Tribe shifted gears on Sunday.
Fausto Carmona, the luckless rookie trying to latch onto the closer's job, never got off his bullpen stool. There was no need for him or anyone else to save the game, because the Indians never got the lead, instead losing 1-0 to the Tigers at Comerica Park.
C.C. Sabathia did a masterful job keeping the Central Division leaders in check. His big mistake was failing to field Brandon Inge's slow roller to the left of the mound for an error that led to the lone run of the game in the fifth inning.
After Inge was sacrificed to second, Placido Polanco bounced out to send Inge to third, from where he scored on Craig Monroe's single to left.
``I tried to pick it up with my hand and missed it, like I did in Boston,'' Sabathia said. ``I got there pretty quick, so I wasn't rushing, but I probably should have used my glove.''
The run was unearned, allowing Sabathia's ERA to dip to 3.43. But that wasn't much compensation for losing his eighth game, evening his record, following one of his better starts of the season against the Red Sox (8 IP, 1 R) last Tuesday.
``It's frustrating,'' Sabathia said. ``A loss is a loss no matter how you pitched.''
Eric Wedge chimed in with kudos for Sabathia.
``C.C. was outstanding, actually,'' Wedge said. ``We sent him out for the seventh with a little more than 100 pitches, and he did a great job of getting us through that inning.''
So pitching was not the problem for the Tribe. Even the bullpen came through. Sabathia left after throwing 110 pitches through seven innings, and Brian Sikorski took over, retiring the side in order in the eighth.
On the other hand, the offense struggled mightily against Wilfredo Ledezma, a fixture in the Tigers bullpen who was getting his first start of the season in the wake of the decision to postpone Justin Verlander's start until Friday.
Only twice this season had Ledezma thrown more than three innings -- 3 1/3 on July 16 and 4 2/3 on July 22 -- yet he handled the Tribe's befuddled batsmen as if he were accustomed to starting every five days.
Tigers manager Jim Leyland didn't push it, though. When Ledezma retired the first two batters in the sixth then yielded two singles, Leyland was quick with the hook, summoning Jason Grilli from the bullpen.
``Ledezma did a good job against us,'' Wedge said. ``We didn't do such a good job against him, though.''
Nor did the Tribe come close to punishing the Tigers' bullpen.
Grilli got in trouble in the seventh, when Andy Marte walked with one out, Grady Sizemore doubled and Jason Michaels walked to load the bases.
With Travis Hafner due up next, Leyland made the call to the bullpen for left-hander Jamie Walker to face the slugging lefty. Coming into the game, Hafner had career numbers of 5-for-12 against Walker, including a double in three at-bats this season.
But lately, loading the bases has been the surest way for the Tribe to kill a rally. Walker struck out Hafner on a slider off the plate, and Victor Martinez bounced into a force play to end the inning.
``We had the two guys up there we wanted,'' Wedge said. ``But Walker stepped up.''
Or maybe Hafner and Martinez stepped down.
The Tigers' relief corps limited the Indians to two hits in 3 1/3 innings, so maybe what Ledezma did was no big deal. He gave up six hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings.
The Tigers have 13 shutouts to their credit, and it has truly been a team effort. Only one shutout was a complete game, and six different pitchers have started the 13 games, with Verlander starting five.
Sabathia has been a shutout victim of the Tigers twice, losing 3-0 on May 13.
The Tribe has been blanked a total of six times, all by either division leaders or teams in second place.
``Today, we were in a position to tie or even take the lead a couple of times,'' Wedge said. ``But we never got that big hit.''
Which is only one of the reasons the Tigers are 75-36 and the Tribe is 47-63, falling 16 games below .500 for the first time this year.
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ABJ

8/7/06

Wedge removes Carmona as closer

But Indians manager is not abandoning idea

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->DETROIT - Limbo isn't quite the right word to describe the Indians' closer situation. But it's close.
One thing is clear: The Fausto Carmona experiment has been put on hold after he blew his only three save attempts and was unable to protect a tie score in the ninth inning of another game.
``We still haven't finalized anything,'' manager Eric Wedge said on Sunday. ``I think what we're going to do in general is let Fausto take a step back, catch his breath and use him in a role where he would pitch in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.''
Carmona came within one out of earning his first save Saturday night, when Ivan Rodriguez slammed a home run with a runner on base to give the Detroit Tigers a 4-3 win.
Wedge added that at least for awhile, Carmona might be asked to throw more than one inning at a time.
``That will allow him to pitch a little more and keep developing as a late-inning guy,'' Wedge said.
For the long haul, Wedge is not abandoning the idea of turning Carmona into a closer. ``Closing will still be an option,'' he said.
In the meantime, the likely candidates to close are Rafael Betancourt and Jason Davis, at least that was the case on Sunday.
``We'll see how it goes and take it day by day,'' said Wedge of his choices for closer the rest of the season.
Asked whether he would pick one reliever to close and stick with him, Wedge said, ``We have to have more extensive conversations about that.''
Several weeks ago, Wedge said Carmona's live arm would be wasted in any roles but closing or starting, and that a decision on his future would be made by the end of the season.
Sunday, he seemed to hedge on that statement.
``I don't know if it's that cut and dried,'' Wedge said. ``That could depend on how things go in the offseason, in terms of who we might bring in. I think (for Carmona), we have to leave all our options open, and that includes setting up.''
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

8/8/06

Reliever finds way to Tribe

Sikorski trying to stick around after five years in Japan, stops in San Diego, Texas

By Zach Silka

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - Brian Sikorski remembers the first time he tried to order a milkshake in Japan. He ended up with a Big Mac on his plate instead.
After a five-year stay in the Japanese leagues, the 32-year-old newcomer in the Indians bullpen has plenty of stories about his adjustment to living in a foreign environment and competing nearly 6,500 miles from home.
``At first, there was a little culture shock,'' said Sikorski, who landed in Cleveland after the San Diego Padres designated him for assignment July 17. ``After that, I enjoyed it. My family enjoyed it. They came over and stayed with me there, so it was a good experience.''
Sikorski even developed somewhat of a fan base overseas because of his wild arm-swinging during warmups and a frantic sprint off the mound at the end of each inning, both of which stem from his junior high and high school playing days in Roseville, Mich.
During three seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines, and then the past two seasons with the Yomiuri Giants, Sikorski posted a 21-20 record with a 3.51 ERA, striking out 351 batters and walking 116 while making the transition from starter to reliever.
Now with the Indians, who obtained the right-hander in exchange for reliever Mike Adams on July 18, Sikorski has translated his success in Japan into working his way into Cleveland's bullpen. In seven appearances, he has posted a 4.32 ERA with 11 strikeouts and two walks. The four earned runs he has allowed have come on four solo home runs.
``We're excited to have him right now, and it's exciting I'm sure for him to be getting more consistent work,'' Indians pitching coach Carl Willis said.
``He's progressed to getting the ball in more meaningful situations, and he's continued to respond. At this point, we feel comfortable using him really at any point in the game getting us to the ninth inning.''
Away from home
Sikorski's journey from the suburbs of Detroit to Jacobs Field hasn't always been a smooth one.
Sikorski made his major-league debut with the Texas Rangers as a starter a month after the All-Star break in 2000, posting a 1-3 record with a 5.00 ERA in five starts before being relegated to the bullpen.
His time in the Lone Star State wasn't without a bit of magic, however, when he became the first Rangers pitcher in seven years to win his first outing. Sikorski pitched seven shutout innings and allowed only four hits against the New York Yankees as a 26-year-old rookie.
Sikorski could never find a way to return to that early form, though, and was sold to the Chiba Lotte Marines at the end of the season.
``Initially, I thought three months, and I'll be right back over here,'' Sikorski said. ``Then three months turned into five years. I think it helped me baseball-wise, becoming a better pitcher.''
Despite the language barrier, Sikorski also managed to fit in well with his Japanese teammates and even was the victim of a few practical jokes.
The Japanese teams Sikorski played for provided translators for their English-speaking players. The translators are almost always by the players' sides, even during on-field conferences.
But in one instance during his first year with the Yomiuri Giants, Sikorski called catcher Shinnosuke Abe to the mound and attempted to speak for himself. The conversation didn't go so well, but all further dialouges between the two were much clearer.
``After the inning was over, he came up to me and started laughing and said, `English is OK,' '' Sikorski said. ``He actually (became) a good friend. I always talked to him.''
Welcome back
With his son Easton ready to start school in the United States and a contract offer from the San Diego Padres in hand, Sikorski knew it was time to come home during this past offseason.
``I wanted to be closer to him so I wouldn't have to go four months without seeing him,'' Sikorski said. ``I'm (also) not getting any younger. I wanted to give it another shot over here.''
But everything didn't go quite as planned for Sikorski with the Padres. He didn't make the major-league roster out of spring traning, and when he finally got his call-up, he was less than stellar.
In 13 appearances, Sikorski posted a 1-1 record with a 5.65 ERA in San Diego. Even worse, his attacking hitters early in the count resulted in him giving up four home runs in 14 1/3 innings and left-handed batters hitting .357 off him.
``I think in the time he was with San Diego, he had very limited opportunities,'' Indians Assistant General Manager Chris Antonetti said. ``What we'll look to do is take the remainder of the season and see how he does with increased opportunities.''
Sikorski's highlight came July 25 against his hometown team, the Detroit Tigers, in which he pitched two scoreless innings late in the game to preserve the victory.
``I'm just making better pitches (in Cleveland),'' Sikorski said. ``It was just one of those things where that's the game. Sometimes you get hit, and sometimes you don't. You just have to battle through the bad times and work towards more good times.''
Facing his first batter in an Indians uniform, Sikorski gave up a long ball to Angels left fielder Juan Rivera. In his defense, Sikorski had just arrived in Anaheim, Calif., to meet the team after finding out 12 hours before that game that he had been traded to Cleveland.
``He had that first outing that he got out of the way. He came in the same day (he was traded) and was traveling, but then (he) had three strong outings after that,'' Indians manager Eric Wedge said.
``He's quickly worked himself towards the back end of our bullpen. He's a guy that has a lot of experience over in Japan and really hasn't had much of an opportunity over here, but he's getting one now.''
Antonetti and Wedge agree they would like to see Sikorski as a long-term fixture in their bullpen, provided he can maintain a high level of play.
For Sikorski, that would mean finding a long-term home in Cleveland.
``I hope so,'' Sikorski said. ``I just take it one day at a time and look forward to getting back out there.''
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

8/8/06

Indians minor-league report

Buffalo outfielder dodges disabled list

Jason Dubois keeps on playing with bloody, bruised left eye

By Stephanie Storm

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->TOLEDO - Bad words can be spelled with four letters. But as far as Jason Dubois is concerned, the dirtiest word in all of baseball is two simple letters: DL.
Commonly referred to as the disabled list, it is Dubois' arch enemy.
``I'll do anything to steer clear of it,'' said Dubois, a Triple-A Buffalo outfielder. ``It's the worst thing there is.''
That would help explain why, despite a bloody and bruised left eye, the 27-year-old was nowhere on the DL last month and instead played in Toledo at the Triple-A All-Star game.
``I got hit by a ball during batting practice,'' Dubois said. ``At first, my whole eye was nearly swollen shut. Now, it looks worse than it is. Really, I can see fine.''
When the possibility of being sidelined with the freak injury came up in conversation with the Bisons' coaching staff, Dubois was adamantly against it.
Looking to shake the tag of being a ``4-A player'' (someone thought of as better than Triple-A, but not good enough to be an everyday major-leaguer), Dubois has to do two things: hit and stay healthy.
After fracturing his left foot in 2000 after being drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 14th round, then missing a month the following season with a fractured left wrist, Dubois has managed to stay disabled-list free.
As for the hitting, he remains a work in progress a year after the Indians traded for him while sending outfielder Jody Gerut to the Cubs.
Although Dubois spent most of the 2005 season with the Cubs, he batted .239 with seven homers and 22 RBI in 52 games. The year before at Triple-A Iowa, Dubois hit .316 (122-for-386) with 31 home runs and 99 RBI in 109 games. He was fifth in the Pacific Coast League in RBI, tied for fifth in home runs and fourth with a .630 slugging percentage.
But when he played in 14 games during two stints in Cleveland last season, Dubois only hit .222 (10-for-45) with two home runs, two RBI and 25 strikeouts.
``This year he came out of the gate on the heels of a very strong spring training,'' Indians Director of Player Development John Farrell said. ``He has a track record for hitting. Right now, he definitely gives us depth in a major-league outfield.''
Farrell said that the Indians were looking for more versatility in the outfield in June when they called up speedy Franklin Gutierrez. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Dubois is more of a slugger.
``Jason's track record indicates that (his struggles) in the first half of the season were an aberration,'' Farrell said. ``He's come on in the second half, so we'll see what happens come September.''
After combining to hit just .216 in May and June, Dubois began to find his stroke around the All-Star break. Recently, the 27-year-old was named the International League Player of the Week for batting .417 with seven runs scored, three doubles, a triple, four home runs, 10 RBI and a 1.125 slugging percentage.
Through 97 games at Buffalo, Dubois is batting .267 (97-for-363) with team highs for doubles (25; shares lead), home runs (19) and RBI (75). The Bisons are 57-54 and in third place in the North Division.
``He's got a great baseball sense,'' Bisons manager Torey Lovullo said. ``And he's continuing to work on his hitting. If you put a ball in the zone he's able to attack, he's not going to miss it.''
The disabled list, now that's another story.

ABJ

8/8/06

Indians notebook

Hafner shares AL Player of the Week recognition

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - Travis Hafner was fighting a brief slump toward the end of July, but he began August with a bang, being named Co-American League Player of the Week. He shares the honor with Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz.
For the seven days ending Sunday, Hafner batted .385, with four home runs, nine RBI, seven runs and three doubles.
Hafner's next homer will give him a career high of 34 for a season. His homer total is among the top five in the major leagues, and his 30 home runs as a DH are two short of the club record already held by Hafner (2005) and Ellis Burks (2002).
Time to rest?
With the Tribe's place in the standings irrelevant (except to get a better draft choice), will manager Eric Wedge be inclined to give his starting pitchers extra days off?
``We'll keep an eye on Jeremy Sowers, because of where he is in his career,'' Wedge said of the rookie left-hander.
The lament
The Indians could have won six games on their seven-game trip to Boston and Detroit. The problem was four blown saves -- three by Fausto Carmona, one by Fernando Cabrera.
``We played good baseball on this trip,'' Wedge said. ``People will scoff at that because of our record, but we put ourself in position to win six games.''
As C.C. Sabathia said: ``We could have been 7-0, but went 2-5.''
Wasted opportunities
Since July 28, the Tribe has loaded the bases 13 times but scored only six runs. And if not for Shin-Soo Choo, that total would be one.
Choo has contributed a grand slam and an RBI ground out. The only other RBI with the bases loaded came on Joe Inglett's ground out to short.
Other stuff
In his past 35 games, Victor Martinez is batting .350 but with only two home runs and 16 RBI.... C.C. Sabathia is 0-3 against the Tigers this year, but his ERA is a sparkling 2.45 in 22 innings.... The Tigers' three-game weekend sweep was the first against Cleveland in Detroit since May 20-22, 2002.
Farm facts
Jeremy Guthrie (7-4, 3.25 ERA) gave up four runs in 5 2/3 innings, as Buffalo lost a 6-2 decision to Norfolk in Triple-A.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

cnnsi.com

8/8/06

Indians sign Lee to $14M extension

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Cliff Lee signed a three-year, $14 million contract extension with the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday, another long-term commitment for a young player the club considers key to winning in the future.

The left-hander's deal includes a club option for the 2010 season.

Lee, 27, played at Arkansas. He has been solid if not spectacular this season for the Indians, who have been one of baseball's biggest disappointments. Cleveland won 93 games and barely missed the playoffs in 2005 but the club is just 47-63 entering Tuesday and 28 games behind first-place Detroit in the AL Central.

While Indians general manager Mark Shapiro needs to rebuild the Indians in several areas, in Lee and lefties C.C. Sabathia and Jeremy Sowers, Cleveland has a strong nucleus of starters for years to come.

The Indians have been active in locking up players they believe make up a championship core, and in the past 16 months owner Larry Dolan has spent more than $100 million in signing Lee, Sabathia ($29.7 million), designated hitter Travis Hafner ($7 million), catcher Victor Martinez ($15.5 million), outfielder Grady Sizemore ($23.45 million) and shortstop Jhonny Peralta ($13 million).

"This signing further exemplifies ownership's consistent, continued desire to maintain the present core group of Cleveland Indians players and demonstrates Cliff's desire to be part of that core," Shapiro said.

Lee came to the Indians along with Sizemore in the 2002 trade with Montreal that sent Bartolo Colon to the Expos. In 99 career starts, he's 44-25 with a 4.47 ERA. This year, Lee is 9-8 with a 4.75 ERA in a team-high 33 starts.

Last season, he went 18-5 and had the AL's highest winning percentage, the first Indians pitcher to do that since Bob Feller in 1951. He finished fourth in Cy Young voting.

The Indians began talks with Lee's agent during spring training about a new contract, but the sides couldn't finalize a deal before opening day.

Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

 

[tsteele316]

too bad Lee's agent tried to be a hardass this spring. Waiting to sign the extension probably cost them a couple $million because of his lackluster performance this year.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

8/9/06

Young Tribe players still worth seeing

As Indians continue to work toward next season, newcomers should dominate lineup in final weeks

By Terry Pluto

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - Say these names real fast: Choo, Luna, Garko, Inglett and Marte.
Those were the last five guys in the Indians' lineup Tuesday night, and none of them was with the team at the start of the season.
Only one was even in the major leagues, and that's Hector Luna.
The starting Tribe pitcher on this refreshingly cool Tuesday night in early August was Jeremy Sowers, who is in only his second season of pro ball.
Sowers was not at his best, but still survived seven innings, allowing four runs (three earned) against the Los Angeles Angels as he continues to impress.
Sowers has pitched at least seven innings in four of his last five starts.
This kid can be a 15-game winner next year.
And next year is what this season is all about now. On Aug. 8, not a single member of the Indians' infield was with the team in June.
And at this point, that's OK.
Wouldn't you rather see Andy Marte than Aaron Boone? Are you interested in Joe Inglett, at least as a utility guy?
He has always hit .300 in the minors, and he's hitting about that in 26 games with the Tribe.
It's about time we got a look at Ryan Garko, who hit .309 in his career in the minors. This year, he slipped to .248 with 15 homers and 59 RBI at Triple-A Buffalo.
Here's a theory about Garko: It's called being in Buffalo too long.
He batted .303 with 19 homers and 77 RBI for the Bisons last year. He thought he'd be given a real shot to make the team this spring as a right-handed hitting first baseman to platoon with Ben Broussard.
The Indians dwelled on Garko's defensive limitations at first base. But from the start of spring training, he was decent at the position. They imported veteran Eduardo Perez, and Garko had no chance. He went back to Buffalo and fell into the same trap that snared Marte for part of the summer -- trying to hit home runs.
The Indians should put together a combination of Travis Hafner, Victor Martinez, Kelly Shoppach and Garko to handle three positions: catcher, first base and designated hitter.
The Indians also have three guys capable of catching in Martinez, Garko and Shoppach. That means Martinez won't have to catch on those hot afternoons when the score is 11-1.
Remember that July 5 game when the Yankees stole six bases off Martinez?
That seemed to finally convince manager Eric Wedge to take a look at Shoppach (.370 vs. lefties) behind the plate and give Martinez some time at first.
Since then, Martinez has caught 15 games, and thrown out 3-of-13 runners.
Shoppach has caught 11 games, throwing out 3-of-6.
Another theory: Catching less will help Martinez catch better. From Opening Day of 2005 to the 2006 All-Star break, he caught the second-most games in the majors. Catching is a physically demanding position, and it can take a toll mentally. Martinez was feeling both.
Now he seems rested and refreshed, and he just keeps hitting. He also has been decent at first base, while Shoppach is a natural catcher. Word on his good arm has already spread, as teams seldom run on him. In his last two years of Class AAA, Shoppach threw out 40 percent of runners trying to steal.
Marte made an error Tuesday night, but overall, his defense at third has been acceptable since being promoted from Buffalo. Despite 19 errors, he was voted the top defensive third baseman in the Class AAA International League by coaches and managers.
At 22, we'll see if he's ready to hit major-league pitching. He's struggled so far.
The most intriguing is Shin-Soo Choo, who delivered a run-scoring double Tuesday night. He's been a .300 hitter in the minors, very effective against right-handed pitching and was recently voted as having the best arm in the Pacific Coast League. He runs well and covers a lot of ground in right field.
The Indians still have a lot to do.
They have no closer, and the bullpen needs help.
They need to trade for or sign a power-hitting outfielder.
I'd move Jhonny Peralta to second base and acquire a good-fielding shortstop.
I never thought this team would be such a mess, or that spring training would return in July. But that's the reality. The good news is the Indians do have some players worth watching in the final six weeks of the season.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

8/9/06

Tribe rally wasted in loss to Angels

Indians' Betancourt gives up winning run in eighth

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - One way or another, the Indians' bullpen has been a difference maker this season.
And that's not a good thing. Lately, the spotlight has been on luckless Fausto Carmona, who quickly developed a serious mental block to the idea of pitching in the ninth inning with the lead.
But that was not the problem Tuesday night. Carmona was nowhere to be seen, yet the Tribe lost 5-4 to the Los Angeles Angels.
Rafael Betancourt gave up the game-winner this time, after the offense raised false hopes by tying the score with four runs in the sixth inning.
Betancourt started the eighth by giving up a single to Vladimir Guerrero and one out later walked Garret Anderson.
A double steal put runners on second and third, but Betancourt struck out Tim Salmon, getting within one out of keeping the tie intact. Instead, Adam Kennedy lined a pinch-hit RBI single to left.
``Rafael didn't have his command tonight,'' Tribe manager Eric Wedge said. ``He walked a couple of guys and was behind someone else 3-and-2.''
The relievers have been charged with the Tribe's past six defeats, and the bullpen's season record is 8-22 with a 5.01 ERA. It's no wonder that General Manager Mark Shapiro and Wedge have talked about a total overhaul of the relief corps in 2007.
``We're evaluating everybody,'' Wedge said. ``We're an open book right now. We don't have any locks in the bullpen. Everybody should be going out every day like they're fighting for a job.''
One reliever who did his job was Tom Mastny, who made his second appearance of the year for the Tribe in the ninth inning, striking out two and retiring a batter on a ground ball.
``Mastny threw the ball well,'' Wedge said. ``If we had tied it up, I would have sent him back out there. He was pretty impressive in the ninth.''
Jeremy Sowers has given up nine home runs in eight big-league starts, but should anyone care? He allowed two solo blasts Tuesday -- to Guerrero and Anderson -- but they were hardly enough to turn the game the Angels' way.
Equally important was Sowers' own error in the fifth inning preceding Juan Rivera's two-out RBI single that gave Los Angeles a temporary 4-0 advantage.
Howie Kendrick slapped an easy bouncer to Sowers, who turned quickly to force the runner at second. The problem: Hector Luna wasn't on the bag, and Sowers' throw skipped into center field.
``You work on that a thousand times in spring training and in college workouts,'' Sowers said. ``When you see that nobody is at the bag, you're supposed to take one more shuffle step before you throw. I just kind of panicked and threw it.''
The Tribe's shaky defenders put together a six-game errorless streak before committing errors in the last three games (third baseman Andy Marte also made one Tuesday night).
Sunday, the Indians lost 1-0 to the Detroit Tigers because C.C. Sabathia made an error.
At any rate, Sowers turned in another credible performance, giving up four runs (three earned), nine hits and no walks in seven innings.
``I didn't have particularly great stuff or great command,'' Sowers said. ``I managed to get a couple of double plays, and that four-spot in the sixth bailed me out. So of course, I could have done better.''
The Indians didn't stop Jared Weaver's string of wins, but after a painfully slow start, they made certain he didn't extend it.
Weaver is the touted rookie who entered the game with a 7-0 record and 1.81 ERA. He won his first seven big-league starts but was not involved in the decision in his last two outings.
Over the first five innings Tuesday, the Tribe had one walk and just two hits, a bloop single by Ryan Garko and a hit off the glove of second baseman Kendrick.
Maybe it was too easy for Weaver and he lost his concentration. On the other hand, by the time Tribe batsmen saw him for a third time, it's possible they figured something out.
Grady Sizemore started the rally with a one-out homer, his 17th of the season. Jason Michaels followed with a double, Travis Hafner lined to the right fielder, and Victor Martinez walked.
In his first couple of weeks with the Tribe, the book on Shin-Soo Choo is to expect a big hit. He came through again, delivering an RBI double, importantly leaving runners on second and third.
That meant when Hector Luna followed with a single, both runners scored to deadlock the game at 4-4 and signal the end of the work day for Weaver.
``We did a real good job of getting to him in in our third at-bat,'' Wedge said. ``He has good stuff, and he had four pitches working for him.''
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