Indians Tidbits (2007 Season)

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ABJ

Notebook

Lee out with strained muscle

Left-hander will miss start today. Tribe routs Astros in spring opener

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - Cliff Lee will be on the sidelines for a while, although Indians officials hope that he misses only a few days with a strained abdominal muscle.
``It happened five days ago during his first batting-practice session,'' head trainer Lonnie Soloff said Thursday. ``He threw a bullpen session yesterday for his start tomorrow and felt it again.''

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Dispatch

BASEBALL INDIANS
Heat?s on young infield
Offseason workouts expected to improve once-leaky defense
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Scott Priestle
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

</IMG> DAVID J . PHILLIP ASSOCIATED PRESS Cleveland Indians management hopes to see improved defense in 2007 from shortstop Jhonny Peralta, left, and second baseman Josh Barfield.

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. ? Jhonny Peralta, all of 24 years old and hardly established in the big leagues, finds himself in the odd role of elder statesman. The players who will flank the shortstop in the Cleveland Indians? infield, Andy Marte and Josh Barfield, are younger. Whoever plays first base will be a convert to the position.

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Dispatch

INDIANS
Sizemore is adjusting to his role as a leader
Center fielder shows right way with his play, work habits
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Scott Priestle
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

</IMG> DAVID J . PHILLIP ASSOCIATED PRESS Grady Sizemore, left, jokes with Indians teammate Victor Martinez during spring training.


WINTER HAVEN, Fla. ? Grady Sizemore?s performance last season put him in the company of the game?s elite players. His personality resisted. The young Cleveland Indians standout arrived in Pittsburgh for his first All-Star Game in July, looked around a clubhouse full of decorated veterans and settled quietly in a corner.

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Dispatch

Indians pound Tigers

LAKELAND, FLA. - Pitchers standing out;
The Indians hammered the Detroit Tigers 11-2 Saturday at Joker Marchant Stadium for their second win in three exhibition games.
In the victories, the Tribe has outscored its opponents 24-4, but probably more important is the consistency of the pitching. Against the Tigers, Jeremy Sowers started and pitched two innings, giving up a run on Craig Monroe's home run.

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ABJ

Relief corps nearly set

Borowski locked in as closer. Mastny appears to be the odd man out

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

LAKELAND, FLA. - The unexpected retirement of Keith Foulke on the first day of spring training didn't upgrade the quality of the Indians' bullpen, but it cleared up some of the uncertainty.
With Foulke out of the picture, Joe Borowski became the one and only closer, and instead of three pitchers competing for the seventh and final spot, there were two relievers vying for one job.

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ABJ

Fans must prepare for disappointment with tribe

Slim chance that team can afford Sabathia, Hafner, Westbrook

By Sheldon Ocker

LAKELAND, FLA - No matter how the Indians perform this year, the potential exodus of C.C. Sabathia, Travis Hafner and Jake Westbrook will hang over Jacobs Field like an impending thunderstorm.
Sabathia and Hafner can't become free agents until after the 2008 season, yet their futures already are being hotly debated in Cleveland. And unless Westbrook and General Manager Mark Shapiro agree on a new contract during training camp, the Tribe's most consistent starter will surely enter the free-agent market in October.

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Canton

Miller time? Not yet
Sunday, March 4, 2007
By Andy Call
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

LAKELAND, Fla. Adam Miller was pitching in his first big-league spring training game Saturday afternoon. He had picked up two quick outs in the fifth inning when menacing Detroit slugger Gary Sheffield came to the plate. The first two pitches Miller fired were fastballs, and both missed.

?I?m thinking, ?Hey, here?s a pretty good start, 2-0 to Sheffield,? ? Miller said facetiously. ?At that point, I?m trying to just not throw it down the middle and give him a freebie.?

Sheffield popped up to the first baseman for the final out of the inning, and the rest of Miller?s debut proved to be smooth sailing. Cleveland?s rookie right-hander worked two scoreless innings of an 11-2 victory over the Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium.

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Canton

Lee eyes 20 wins
Sunday, March 4, 2007
By ANDY CALL

When Cliff Lee is asked about someday becoming a 20-game winner, he speaks confidently and hopefully. But if that happens this summer, it would become only his second-biggest milestone moment of 2007.

The big day for Cliff and Kristen Lee occurred in January, when 5-year-old son Jaxon passed a physical examination designed to detect whether the leukemia Jaxon had been diagnosed with as a 4-month-old had returned or stayed in remission.

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CPD

Tribe could go 2-for-3 or take a hit


Sunday, March 04, 2007 Paul Hoynes
Plain Dealer Reporter
Lakeland, Fla. -- Eric Wedge is a pragmatist. Most managers are.
There is a theory that the Indians must finish their five-year rebuilding plan this season or next because they may lose Jake Westbrook, C.C. Sabathia and Travis Hafner to free agency in the next two years.
If the Indians lost all three, meaning their No. 1 starter, their most consistent starter and their biggest run producer, that could set the program back. Should they lose two of the three, it's still not recommended behavior for a contender.

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[Crashcup]

Anyone here think that the Tribe needs to pay a premium to free agents like the Brownies do?

Gotta like the tribe and their players but am worried about their upcomming free agents like Lee & Sabathia etc.

What are the chances of resigning em all?

Haven't followed them as closely as I'd would have liked.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Indians notebook

Sabathia tries to dodge repeat of injury

Tribe pitcher suspects golf might be factor in past muscle strains

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - There will be no spring training golf for C.C. Sabathia this year.
Sabathia made his first start of the spring Sunday, as the Indians dropped a 7-4 decision to the Detroit Tigers at Chain of Lakes Park. In two scoreless innings, he gave up two hits and struck out three.

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ABJ

Four players vie for reserve spot

Wedge looking for candidate who can play short

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - Spring exhibition season has barely begun, but this is starting to look like a reprise of former Indians training camps.
That is, with a wide-open job waiting to be filled, nobody is stepping up to take command. In this case, the position is reserve middle infielder. The contenders are Hector Luna, Joe Inglett, Keith Ginter and Luis Rivas.
Manager Eric Wedge has emphasized that the winner must be an adept shortstop, first and foremost. The reason: Tribe deep thinkers are concerned that Jhonny Peralta might not emerge from the doldrums that ruined his season last year.

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Canton

Miller seeks spot in bullpen after elbow surgery
Monday, March 5, 2007
By Andy Call
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. Matt Miller has done most of his baseball career the hard way. Why should this season be any different?

?I don?t want to be given anything,? Miller said. ?I want to earn it. I don?t mind competition.?

The right-handed sidearm pitcher is working his way back from last year?s elbow surgery, and appears to be on the right path.

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Canton

Luna letting his chance slip away
Monday, March 5, 2007
By Andy Call
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER


WINTER HAVEN, Fla. Yes, it is early. But, unless Hector Luna gets it together very quickly, he faces elimination from the utility infielder race before it even really begins.

Luna was charged with two errors during Sunday's 7-4 spring-training loss to Detroit at Chain of Lakes Park, giving him three in as many games. The 27-year-old had already run afoul of Manager Eric Wedge by reporting to camp out of shape, and his sloppy play is allowing the other contenders to put Luna in their rear-view mirror.

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CPD

INDIANS INSIDER
Infielders' play dismays Wedge


Monday, March 05, 2007 Paul Hoynes
Plain Dealer Reporter
Winter Haven, Fla.- The left side of the Indians' infield was a concern before spring training. It's still a concern four games into the exhibition season and Jhonny Peralta has nothing to do with it.
Hector Luna, trying to show he can back up Peralta at shortstop, made two errors in Sunday's 7-4 exhibition loss to Detroit at Chain of Lakes Park. Third baseman Andy Marte was charged with one error, but could have been charged with at least one more.
After the game, manager Eric Wedge was looking for answers.

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