Indians Tidbits (2007 Season)

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CPD

INDIANS INSIDER
Rivas staking claim on infield spot


Thursday, March 08, 2007 Bud Shaw
Plain Dealer Columnist
St. Petersburg, Fla.- No non-roster invitee ever won a job in early March but Luis Rivas has at least earned some attention.
The 27-year-old followed a two-run double against the Yankees on Tuesday with three more hits against Tampa Bay on Wednesday.
"He's really doing a good job," manager Eric Wedge said after the Indians' 10-2 win. "It's still too early but we are starting to get into it. We have four games coming up in the next three days so we'll have more of a chance to see everybody."

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[JCOSU86]

The Tribe beat Philadelphia today 7-6 on a 1 out double in the ninth by Choo. They are 5-2 now, I think.

 

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ABJ

Reliever role settled for Davis

Controlling his pitches, emotions will be keys

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - Ladies and gentlemen, your starter/reliever, starter/reliever, starter/reliever of the day -- Jason Davis.
Just kidding. All of that is in the past. Never mind that for much of the past five seasons, the Indians couldn't decide whether Davis should start or relieve.
Part of it was Davis' fault.
He has an arm that can deliver fastballs at 95 mph or faster. He also throws a slider and split to give him a three-pitch mix that qualifies him to be a starter.

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ABJ

Indians notebook

Split squad splits day, night games

Byrd victimized by ground-ball, bloop RBI hits

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - Paul Byrd yielded four hits and two runs in his three-inning start as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Indians 6-2 at Chain of Lakes Park.
The night game was the second game of the day for the Tribe, which beat the Cincinnati Reds in the afternoon.
Byrd was sabotaged by a ground-ball RBI single in the first inning and a bloop single that drove in a run in the third.

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ABJ

A rookie season to savor

Mastny can treasure 5 saves while waiting for next big chance

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - No matter where Tom Mastny's career takes him, he always will know that he succeeded as a closer for the Indians.
He didn't save games for long.
He didn't get an opportunity to close in the postseason.
And he wasn't rewarded with a seven-figure contract.
All of that aside, Mastny saved five games in seven chances in his rookie season last year. He arrived in the big leagues from Triple-A Buffalo on July 24 but did not pitch for six days.

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Canton

Rough debut for top prospect
Saturday, March 10, 2007
By Andy Call
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. People told Chuck Lofgren there would be days like this. He just didn't know his first day in the big leagues would be one of them.

The 21-year-old left-hander pitched in his first major-league spring training game Sunday, surrendering six runs (five earned) while getting just one batter out during the fourth inning of Cleveland's 7-4 loss to Detroit.

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Canton

Nixon finally ready to play game
Saturday, March 10, 2007
By Andy Call
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. Trot Nixon returns today to playing the game he loves.

"I consider it a light at the end of the tunnel," said the veteran outfielder, who will make his first spring-training appearance for the Indians this afternoon against Cincinnati at Chain of Lakes Park. "I've been waiting a long time for this. It's been kind of boring so far."

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CPD

Martinez sidelined with undisclosed injury

Posted by [URL="http://blog.cleveland.com/sports/about.html"]Paul Hoynes[/URL] March 09, 2007 16:31PM

Categories: Indians


WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- News, sights and sounds from Indians spring training.
Sent home: Catcher Victor Martinez, scheduled to start tonight against the Pirates, was sent home for a "non-baseball related' medical condition, said Bart Swain, Indians director of media relations.
Under the new basic agreement, teams cannot comment on a player's medical condition if it deals with an off-the-field injury or illness. It's not believed to be serious.

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CPD

Barfield's a born ballplayer

Clubhouse, stadium exposure from childhood meant nothing less than baseball future
Friday, March 09, 2007 Paul Hoynes
Plain Dealer Reporter
Winter Haven, Fla.- It's a different kind of job.
Baseball-playing fathers get to bring their young sons to work with them. They dress with their dads in uniforms that look just like his. Sometimes they even have their own lockers.
Morticians don't bring their kids to the embalming table. The guys who walk the high steel at construction sites don't let their 8- and 9-year-olds tag along. In baseball, kids are everywhere

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CPD

INDIANS INSIDER
Lee may begin season on DL


Friday, March 09, 2007 Paul Hoynes
Plain Dealer Reporter
Winter Haven, Fla. -- For the third straight year, the Indians may be without one of their starting pitchers for a big part of April.
Left-hander Cliff Lee, unless his strained right abdominal muscle allows him to throw a bullpen session Sunday, will likely open the regular season on the disabled list.
"If he can't throw Sunday, the start of the season is in question for him," said Lonnie Soloff, Indians head athletic trainer.

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Canton

Indians close in on last spot
Sunday, March 11, 2007
By Andy Call
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. The last spot on the Indians roster may represent the most difficult decision this spring for Manager Eric Wedge.

The four candidates for the utility infield position - Joe Inglett, Hector Luna, Luis Rivas and Mike Rouse - all bring positives and negatives in both talent and recent experience. It also is possible none of them will win the job, forcing the Indians to make a trade before Opening Day.

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Canton

Spring debut for Nixon
Sunday, March 11, 2007
By Andy Call
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. Trot Nixon's offseason is over.

Thankfully.

The 32-year-old outfielder, attempting to return from back surgery, took part in his first spring training game Saturday against Cincinnati at Chain of Lakes Park. Nixon played three innings and batted twice during the Reds' 5-2 victory.

"This was an offseason that wasn't very fun for me or my family," Nixon said. "When you're a father, and you can't play with your kids, that's a tough place to be in."

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Dispatch

Committed cornerstone
Peralta is working hard to live up to expectations
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Scott Priestle
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

</IMG> REINHOLD MATAY ASSOCIATED PRESS The Indians want shortstop Jhonny Peralta to maintain focus and to produce like he did during the 2005 season.


WINTER HAVEN, Fla. ? The first ground ball of the spring was headed for the hole between shortstop and third base, the type that too often last season rolled into left field for a single. This time, Jhonny Peralta got to it, scooped it and made a strong throw to second baseman Josh Barfield to start a double play.
"Outstanding," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "That?s all I can ask for," pitcher Jake Westbrook said, "a guy busting his tail every play."

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ABJ

Ocker on the Indians

Tribe pitching at pinnacle

Inexperience not a factor as rotation has big potential

By Sheldon Ocker

WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - This could be the season the Indians' rotation vaults to the top of the class.
Granted, the Tribe has no Johan Santana or Roger Clemens in his prime to lead the charge. But C.C. Sabathia is emerging as a true ace, and Cliff Lee, Jake Westbrook and (probably) Jeremy Sowers would be No. 2 or No. 3 starters on most contending clubs.
General Manager Mark Shapiro and manager Eric Wedge carefully have nurtured these pitchers to maturity. No longer does anyone talk about the inexperience of the rotation. These are pitchers -- with the possible exception of Sowers -- who are fully formed.

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ABJ

Notebook

Nixon gets back in game

Indians still taking it slow with outfielder as he recovers from surgery

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - The Indians have been slow to allow outfielder Trot Nixon to play a game in the wake of a surgical procedure to repair his back over the winter.
But Saturday, Nixon found his way into the lineup, playing three innings and getting to the plate twice. His plate appearances were nothing special, a grounder to the second baseman and a fly to right.

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