Indians Tidbits (2007 Season)

[osugrad21]

MJ

Former Red Sox player Nixon ignites Tribe's late explosion
Jim Ingraham, Morning Journal Writer
10/15/2007




BOSTON -- You couldn't make this stuff up.


Well you could, but nobody would believe you.

After Tom Mastny shut down the red-hot heart of the Boston lineup in the bottom of the 10th inning, pinch hitter Trot Nixon, the ex-Red Sox, drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the 11th and the Indians exploded for seven runs to stun the Red Sox 13-6 in a wild and seemingly endless Game 2 of the American League Championship Series.

Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

Indians
Wedge leads way, one step at a time

Monday, October 15, 2007 3:45 AM
By Scott Priestle


The Columbus Dispatch

Elise AmendolaAssociated Press
Not much sways Indians manager Eric Wedge, even a news conference.


CLEVELAND -- From the day he became manager of the Indians, Eric Wedge has preached the importance of maintaining an even keel, arriving at the ballpark ready to work and being a good teammate, no matter the circumstances. Most of his news conferences could cure insomnia: Even the most dramatic of wins spur little emotion, just more platitudes.

Cont...

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Rob Oller commentary: Cleveland fans deserve title more than Bostonians

Monday, October 15, 2007 3:52 AM
By Rob Oller


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Yellow caution tape rings the recreation rooms of every Cleveland Indians fan. If the crime scene is missing, you are not a true Tribe follower.
The evidence -- angst -- is everywhere. Tossed sofa pillows strewn across the room, tiny piles of fingernail bits on the floor and the outlined impression of a body, spread eagle and face down, still visible in the cut-pile carpet in front of the TV.
This is what it means to root for the Indians. You know, just know that something bad is going to happen sooner or later. Or sooner and later.

Continued......

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Notebook: Tribe pitchers walking a fine line
Red Sox's pickiness at the plate creates need for sharpness
Monday, October 15, 2007 3:41 AM
By Scott Priestle


The Columbus Dispatch

Elise AmendolaAssociated Press
The Indians' Grady Sizemore scores against Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek on a single by Trot Nixon in the 11th inning of their Game 2 victory. The Indians didn't get to Cleveland until 6:30 yesterday morning and did not work out yesterday afternoon.



CLEVELAND -- The Indians got more innings out of their starting pitchers than any team in the big leagues during the regular season. They were often effective innings, and they allowed manager Eric Wedge and pitching coach Carl Willis to lean heavily on only their best relievers.
Two games into the American League championship series, the Indians already have reached deep into the bullpen. Starters C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona each failed to finish five innings. They allowed a combined 10 walks and 12 runs.

Continued......

 

[OsUPhAn]

Game 3

I am going to Game 3 tonight and I am so pumped!!!!! This feels like The Game. It is Cleveland's year, and they are going to get it done tonight. I will be going crazy up in 519!

Go Tribe!

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

cnnsi.com

Happy homecoming

Indians tired, relieved after winning Boston marathon

Indians reliever Tom Mastny retired David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez and Mike Lowell in the 10th inning of Game 2.

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Equally exhausted and exhilarated, the Cleveland Indians stumbled home looking for their postseason pillows.
Sleep was at a premium Sunday after a late, late night out in nippy New England.
The Indians were tired, for sure.
Tied in the ALCS, too.
With a record-setting, seven-run rally in the 11th inning of Game 2, the Indians, despite getting next-to-no help from their top two pitchers inside unforgiving Fenway Park, beat the Red Sox 13-6 in the wee hours Sunday morning to even their best-of-seven series at one game apiece.
At 1:37 a.m., a 5-hour, 14-minute Boston baseball marathon ended after more than 400 pitches, momentum swings and enough spine-tingling October moments to shiver even die-hard Red Sox fan Stephen King.
"It was draining, emotionally and physically," said Indians first baseman Ryan Garko, sporting a face full of stubble and the same dress clothes he wore on the flight to Cleveland. "To be sitting here on an off day, down 2-0, would have been tough."

Continued......

 

[LitlBuck]

Questioned Re fan

I don't want to take away from the discussion and importance of the game tonight but I have a question regarding a guy and his wife who sit between home plate and the visitor's dugout. He used to attend all Indians home games but in the past couple seasons he has only attended Friday games and both playoff games. He is the guy who wears "fluorescent" color caps and changes them every inning. I have never heard his story and was just curious if any of you know anything about him.

Westbrook's sinker better be working tonight or we might have to go into our bullpen early and often again tonight. Hopefully, he can do the job for at least five innings while we rough up the Pacific import.

 

[OSUsushichic]

Observations from a Boston.com blogger:

We've (and by "we" I mean "I") arrived here at Jacobs Field early for tonight's Game 3 between the Red Sox and Indians. The press box is gradually filling up (it's much bigger than the one at Fenway Park) as gametime draws closer.

On the walk over I noticed quite a few Indians shirt, though probably an equal number of Browns shirts. People around here are pretty darn excited about their 3-3 Browns. Today's early sports discussion among those who know -- yes, that would be sportswriters -- centered around the sports experience lately in Boston vs. Cleveland/Ohio.

Though the edge probably has to go to Boston (with the success of the Patriots, Red Sox, the new faces on the Celtics, and BC), Cleveland's not far behind (Indians, 3-3 Browns, Cavaliers in the Finals, and Ohio State).

As for the weather, the gray skies of this morning are breaking up to reveal some blue filtering through. It's in the mid-60s here, though weather reports predict the temperatures sinking to the mid-50s by tonight. Nice day for a game, at least at this moment.

From Jacobs Field... - Extra Bases

 

[OH10]

Though the edge probably has to go to Boston (with the success of the Patriots, Red Sox, the new faces on the Celtics, and BC), Cleveland's not far behind (Indians, 3-3 Browns, Cavaliers in the Finals, and Ohio State).

Patriots vs. Browns - Patriots

Celtics vs. Cavs - Cavs

Red Sox vs. Indians - Push (To be decided)

Ohio State vs. Boston College


OHIO STATE

 

[OSUsushichic]

We'll see about the Cavs/Celtics matchup this year. Not like it matters all that much, though.

 

[OHSportsFan]

I don't want to take away from the discussion and importance of the game tonight but I have a question regarding a guy and his wife who sit between home plate and the visitor's dugout. He used to attend all Indians home games but in the past couple seasons he has only attended Friday games and both playoff games. He is the guy who wears "fluorescent" color caps and changes them every inning. I have never heard his story and was just curious if any of you know anything about him.

Westbrook's sinker better be working tonight or we might have to go into our bullpen early and often again tonight. Hopefully, he can do the job for at least five innings while we rough up the Pacific import.

Tom O'Toole

Indians.com did a piece on him a year ago.

The Official Site of The Cleveland Indians: News: Cleveland Indians News

 

[OH10]

We'll see about the Cavs/Celtics matchup this year. Not like it matters all that much, though.

True. Neither is winning a title. But at least the Cavs have results so far to go along with the hype. All the Celtics have right now is hype.

We'll find out about Indians/Red Sox soon, and one of them is going to be the favorite for the title.

 

[OSUsushichic]

Trot Nixon, who sparked the 11th-inning rally in Game 2 with his go-ahead RBI single, will draw the start in right field over Franklin Gutierrez, who delivered the crowing blow of Cleveland's 13-6 victory Saturday night/Sunday morning at Fenway Park with his 3-run homer off Jon Lester.

Manager Eric Wedge might be playing the percentages on this one since Nixon has faced Daisuke Matsuzaka before (1 for 5 with a double) while Gutierrez has never seen the Sox' ballyhooed Japanese right hander.

And so, on an unseasonably warm evening here in Cleveland (where we hope not to be swarmed by bugs), to the lineups we go .....

1. Grady Sizemore, CF
2. Asdrubal Cabrera, 2B
3. Travis Hafner, DH
4. Victor Martinez, C
5. Ryan Garko, 1B
6. Jhonny Peralta, SS
7. Kenny Lofton, LF
8. Trot Nixon, RF
9. Casey Blake, 3B
SP: Jake Westbrook

Indians lineup for Game 3 ALCS - Extra Bases

 

[OH10]

I don't like it. Trot has been excellent as a pinch-hitter, but has been downright dreadful in the field. Franklin, on the other hand, is a superb outfielder, who I'm hopeful got off the schneid with his three-run blast.

 

[scarletandgrey]

I don't like it. Trot has been excellent as a pinch-hitter, but has been downright dreadful in the field. Franklin, on the other hand, is a superb outfielder, who I'm hopeful got off the schneid with his three-run blast.

I agree I would rather have the sure golve in the field. We can always produce runs, but it's tough to swallow errors in the outfield especially with runners on base.