Indians Tidbits (2007 Season)

[osugrad21]

CPD

Byrd happy to wind up with Wedge


Wednesday, October 17, 2007Bill Livingston
Plain Dealer Columnist
Paul Byrd, with his high socks and double-pump windup, seems to have stepped out of some dimly remembered era in baseball's past, when teams traveled by train and the Dodgers were in Brooklyn.
The last hurrah for his style was probably during the first expansion era in the early 1960s, when there was such a crying need for pitching that a lot of arm motion could disguise the fact that the actual pitch was hardly overpowering.
Born of necessity, to trick up Byrd's delivery and generate a little more oomph on his fastball after labrum surgery with Kansas City five years ago, the windup today makes him unique. He is a throwback, but not a thrower. Paul Byrd is a pitcher.




Cont..

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

Indians hitters' swings punch out the knuckleball, Bud Shaw says


Wednesday, October 17, 2007Bud Shaw
Plain Dealer Columnist
Eric Wedge caught Tim Wakefield in the minors years ago. So he shared his secret. There is no secret.
See what Wakefield has early. Make adjustments. Don't bother to bring a rosary. You can always borrow the catcher's.
"It's tough," Wedge said of the knuckler. "It dances all the way to the end."




Cont..

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

Seven-run fifth inning carries Cleveland Indians to 7-3 victory over Boston in ALCS Game 4

Seven-run 5th powers Tribe to cusp of Series
Wednesday, October 17, 2007Paul Hoynes
Plain Dealer Reporter
Forget seven come 11. Try seven come the World Series.
The Indians scored seven runs in an inning for the second time in the American League Championship Series. The first one delivered them from Boston with a split. The second has put them one victory away from reaching the World Series for the first time in 10 years.
Tuesday's night's seven spot, like Saturday night's at Fenway Park, arrived when least expected. When it exhausted itself, the Indians were on their way to a 7-3 victory over Boston in Game 4 and a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.







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[osugrad21]

CPD

Blake finds his swing at just the right time



Wednesday, October 17, 2007 Jodie Valade

Plain Dealer Reporter
Casey Blake has the best playoff beard among any of his Indians teammates, a bushy and full growth on his face that has been flourishing for most of this season. He has been waiting for this time of year for months.
Yet, when the regular-season calendar turned, the offense of the best visual representation of the postseason suddenly shriveled to a mere whisker. The Tribe's clubhouse leader managed two measly hits in 17 at-bats against the New York Yankees.
After three more games in the American League Championship Series, he was batting .172 in the postseason.




Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

Cleveland Indians pitchers find control to calm Red Sox bats


Wednesday, October 17, 2007Paul Hoynes
Plain Dealer Reporter
In the first 12 innings of the American League Championship Series, Indians pitchers walked 13 batters. Starters C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona accounted for 10 of those walks.
In the last 16 innings, heading into Game 4 Tuesday night, Indians pitchers have walked three.
The last 16 innings are more indicative of how the Indians have pitched this year. They walked the fewest batters in the AL during the regular season.




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[osugrad21]

Canton

INDIANS NOTEBOOK: Catchers get knuckled under
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
INDIANS NOTEBOOK
ANDY CALL

CLEVELAND There are certain duties for which catchers should be paid time-and-a-half.

A foul tip off the wrist. A ball that bounces off the plate and smacks into ? err ? an unprotected area of the body. A bat that comes all the way around and tears off the mask. And, of course, catching a knuckleball pitcher.

Indians Manager Eric Wedge played catcher for Boston?s Triple-A Pawtucket farm club in 1995 when the Red Sox obtained knuckleballer Tim Wakefield ? Boston?s starter in Tuesday?s Game 4 of the American League Championship Series.

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[osugrad21]

Canton

SPORTS SPOTLIGHT: There?s winning with class, then there?s Manny's way
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
SPORTS SPOTLIGHT
TODD PORTER

CLEVELAND Bearded and boring, Casey Blake looks like an Amish farmer. Braided and boorish, Manny Ramirez looks like a rap star.

Manny sells tickets.

Casey wins games, including Tuesday night?s 7-3 victory at Jacobs Field. And he helps win them the right way, with class and respect for a time-honored game.

Blake plays in Cleveland, the third baseman on a middle-market team. Manny has quarters in Boston, the last big-market savior on a coast for network TV.

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[osugrad21]

Canton

Sights and sounds at Jacobs Field
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
CHRIS BEAVEN

? A little over an hour before the first pitch, Mother Nature reminded everyone that it is still fall in Northeast Ohio when a downpour began at 7:09. The rain dissipated and returned with another brief soaker at 7:32.

? Country music artist Rissi Palmer performed the national anthem. Middleweight world champ Kelly Pavlik threw out the ceremonial first pitch. The 25-year-old, nicknamed ?The Ghost,? is from Youngstown and said earlier in the day he grew up an Indians fan.

? Pro wrestler Jerry ?The King? Lawler, a friend of Travis Hafner?s, flew in from Manchester, England, to watch the game.


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[osugrad21]

Canton

Red Sox stick to their plan
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
BY Chris Beaven
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

CLEVELAND No last-minute surprises appeared on the mound Tuesday night for the Red Sox.

As expected, knuckleballer Tim Wakefield took his turn in the rotation for Game 4, and hard-throwing Josh Beckett did not come back on three days rest. Beckett, who dominated the Indians in Game 1, will start Game 5 Thursday.


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[osugrad21]

MJ

Fifth inning knocks out Wakefield, puts Tribe within one win of pennant
By Bob Finnan, Morning Journal Writer
10/17/2007




CLEVELAND - The Indians are on the verge of making the 2007 season truly magical.
The Boston Red Sox are on the brink of elimination after their 7-3 loss to the Tribe Tuesday night at Jacobs Field. The Indians have bulldozed their way to a 3-1 advantage in the best-of-seven series.



Indians left-hander C.C. Sabathia will attempt to close out the American League Championship Series at 8:21 p.m., Thursday. A victory by the Indians in Game 5 will put them in the World Series for the sixth time in franchise history. Game 1 would be Oct. 24 against the Colorado Rockies at Jacobs Field.

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[osugrad21]

MJ

Catching aces, Martinez not concerned
Jim Ingraham, Morning Journal Writer
10/17/2007




CLEVELAND -- C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona are scheduled to start the next two games for the Indians in the American League Championship Series. The Indians' two aces will try to bounce back from subpar outings in their starts in Games 1 and 2.


Sabathia and Carmona had a combined 12.96 ERA in their starts in the first two games of the ALCS. In a combined 8 1/3 innings the two starters gave up 12 runs on 11 hits and 10 walks.

Victor Martinez, the man who caught both those games, said he's not concerned.

''It was just one of those things,'' he said. ''I don't think they were too excited or anything. With C.C., he was just a little wild and wasn't able to throw the ball where he wanted. Fausto threw the way he has thrown all year. They (Boston's hitters) had a good game plan against him, and his sinker was moving a little too much.''


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[Big Papa]

Not a bad idea, but you missed this tidbit, then. It went something like this:

Announcer A: Dice-K throws so many pitches, Varitek has to use his thumb for the signs. That's pretty unusual for a pitcher to have more than four pitches.

Announcer B: More than five pitches, you mean, to need his thumb.

*uncomfortable silence*

Announcer B: No, no, more than four, you're right.

Had to have been McCarver. That guy is a walking vegetable.

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

One win away
Seven-run fifth inning leaves Indians on verge of making World Series
Wednesday, October 17, 2007 3:48 AM
By Scott Priestle


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Tony Dejak | Associated Press
Jhonny Peralta belts a three-run homer off Red Sox reliever Manny Delcarmen in the fifth inning.

Tony Dejak | Associated Press
Red Sox center fielder Coco Crisp dives but can't reach a single by Casey Blake that drove in a run in the fifth inning.


CLEVELAND -- As Casey Blake's fly ball traced a high, lazy arc in the sky, 44,000 towel-waving Indians fans erupted with years of stifled optimism. Maybe this is the year?

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[osugrad21]

Dispatch

Indians notebook
Peralta's poise pays off at plate
Shortstop is batting .406 in postseason
Wednesday, October 17, 2007 3:32 AM
By Scott Priestle


The Columbus Dispatch
CLEVELAND -- Jhonny Peralta said he feels "on fire right now." He said it at a whisper, with no emotion or excitement in his voice. As is often the case with the Indians' young shortstop, appearances can be deceiving.

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Commentary
Humble Byrd rides his superb control to another win

Wednesday, October 17, 2007 3:48 AM
By bob hunter

Bob DeMay Akron Beacon Journal
Paul Byrd allowed two runs in five-plus innings and, as usual, did not walk a batter.


CLEVELAND -- The Indians staked their chances last night on a guy who said he has "just been trying to grind it out with less than average stuff and make something out of not too much."
It makes you wonder why they couldn't find a live arm in the Indians clubhouse, doesn't it?
Paul Byrd is better than that, certainly -- he has won 97 games in a 12-year big-league career -- but on the surface it does seem a little curious that a team with a chance to take a three-games-to-one lead in the American League championship series would be inclined to start a guy with "less than average stuff."

Continued.....