Indians Tidbits (2007 Season)

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Canton

Indians sought Hernandez for his head as well as arm
Monday, March 19, 2007
By Andy Call
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. Roberto Hernandez could pitch in his 1,000th big-league game this summer. That translates into a lot of knowledge, and Hernandez doesn't plan to keep it to himself.

"Kids ask me questions," Cleveland's 42-year-old right-handed relief pitcher said. "That keeps me going. The day I give this game up, the thing I'll miss the most is that interaction."

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Canton

Sabathia quickly sets down Dodgers
Monday, March 19, 2007
By Andy Call
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. C.C. Sabathia knows the countdown has begun.

Cleveland's 26-year-old left-hander worked five scoreless innings Sunday during a 5-0 shutout of the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chain of Lakes Park. Sabathia threw 80 pitches and is now just two weeks away from his Opening Day start against the White Sox in Chicago.

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Dispatch

INDIANS
Club gets read on runners
Tribe unleashes speed demons in bid to add a wrinkle that has been lacking from offense
Monday, March 19, 2007
Scott Priestle
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

"We want to get a feel for their instincts on the bases." INDIANS MANAGER ERIC WEDGE On aggressive base running

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. ? Early in camp, Indians coaches stressed the finer points of base running: taking secondary leads, reading pitchers, making better breaks. In recent days, they have put those lessons to the test: The Indians attempted four stolen bases and a hit-andrun Saturday and another steal yesterday.

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CPD

It's only a matter of time

Young outfielder Ben Francisco is having an outstanding spring and has survived two roster cuts. But he knows there will not be a spot for him on the Indians' Opening Day roster. There will be a spot in the future, because his all-around play, confidence and desire to fulfill a dream of playing in the big leagues.
Monday, March 19, 2007 Paul Hoynes
Plain Dealer Reporter
Winter Haven, Fla. - It would be wrong to say Ben Francisco surprised the Indians this year in spring training.
They knew he was here last year. They even gave him a locker and uniform, but he strained an oblique muscle on the first day of camp and couldn't do anything but sit in the trainer's room and wait to be sent to the minors

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CPD

INDIANS INSIDER
Tribe, Westbrook commence contract talks


Monday, March 19, 2007 Paul Hoynes
Plain Dealer Reporter
Winter Haven, Fla.- At least somebody is negotiating with somebody.
Jake Westbrook said his agent, Michael Maas, has started talking with the Indians about a multiyear deal.
"We're talking, that's all I know," said Westbrook.

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Dispatch

Making it count
Research into pitching injuries has swayed teams to limit their risk by guarding against throwing fatigue
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Scott Priestle
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

When Indians pitcher Adam Miller topped 160 innings last season, he was shut down.

Top prospect Homer Bailey wasn?t called up by the Reds from double-A last season out of concern that he would be overworked.

Last season, Jeremy Sowers didn?t pitch during the last three weeks after reaching 185 1 /3 innings.

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. ? For the final three weeks of last season, Cleveland Indians rookie Jeremy Sowers was more tourist than pitcher. He saw Alcatraz when the team was in Oakland to play the A?s. He saw the Texas School Book Depository when the team traveled to play the Rangers. He saw the CN Tower when the team was in Toronto to play the Blue Jays. Through it all, he saw the team?s logic for keeping him off the field.

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ABJ

Closing no job to give to rookie

Wickman says Tribe did not give Carmona the seasoning he needed

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. - It never hurts to listen when a veteran talks about his craft.
Bob Wickman is that kind of guy. He was the Indians' closer from midway through the 2000 season until July 2006, when he was traded to the Atlanta Braves.
Without an obvious replacement, the Tribe, which was out of the division race, scrambled to find a replacement. Fausto Carmona was young, had a good arm and had excelled as a setup man for a month, so he was thrown into the ninth-inning cauldron.

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ABJ

Miller impressive, but likely headed to Buffalo

Facing major-league hitters for first time, rookie keeps Braves scoreless on 3 hits for 5 innings.

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. - Adam Miller probably made his last start of the spring with the Indians on Monday.
The likelihood is that as early as today he will be sent back to the minor-league camp in the next wave of cuts.
While he was in big-league camp, he made his point. In four appearances, Miller worked 14 scoreless innings and allowed eight hits, three walks, striking out eight.

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ABJ

Wedge shot: Indians manager entering pivotal season

TOM WITHERS

Associated Press

KISSIMMEE, Fla. - As batting practice wrapped up the other day, Eric Wedge received a phone call from his wife, Kate, who had great news: Their 11-month-old daughter, Ava, took her first steps.
"How cool is that?" the Cleveland Indians manager said proudly on Monday.
Since then, Wedge has heard the same thing from family members, friends, coaches and players.
"Everybody says, 'It's over now,'" Wedge said. "Game on, now."
The same could be said for Wedge and the not-so-young-anymore Indians.
They're way beyond the stage of crawling or making small strides. Just like little Ava, they have to take that next step.

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ABJ

Martinez throwing out detractors

Improved footwork limits opponents' base stealing. Hitting never a problem

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. - For a young catcher who has proven to be one of the more proficient hitters in the American League, a competent handler of pitchers and a leader-in-the-making, Victor Martinez has absorbed more than his share of barbs from the fans and media.
It's not hard to figure out why. The public most often judges a catcher on one skill and one alone: how well he throws. In that regard, Martinez always has been a work in progress.

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ABJ

Tribe bench status in flux

Garko yet to convince Wedge he can play first

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - It seemed simple enough.
The Indians came to spring training thirsting to know the answers to only two questions: Was Matt Miller totally recovered from the elbow surgery he had last year? And who would be the utility infielder?
Miller has responded by giving up two runs and striking out 16 in 7 1/3 innings. The second question has become almost as resistant to an answer as, ``What is the sound of one hand clapping?''

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Canton

Indians spring training: Borowski wakes up as a closer
Thursday, March 22, 2007
By Andy Call
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. Joe Borowski is a low-profile guy who now finds himself in a very high-profile job.

"For most of my career, I was overshadowed," Borowski said. "You'd see Baseball America with their 'prospects' lists, then you'd see Joe Borowski in the 'sleepers' section."

The 35-year-old right-hander emerged in 2003 when he put up 33 saves for the Chicago Cubs. He saved 36 for the Florida Marlins last year. This summer, he will work as the Indians' closer. There is no higher profile job than pitching the ninth inning of a tight game.

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CPD

INDIANS SPRING TRAINING
It's been a sweet 16 for Hernandez


Thursday, March 22, 2007 Dennis Manoloff
Plain Dealer Reporter
Winter Haven, Fla.- It could have ended right then, without a whimper, in the spring of 1991.
Roberto Hernandez experienced numbness in his right hand as a Class AAA pitcher. Doctors diagnosed blood clots. On June 4 of that year, he underwent surgery to transfer veins from his right thigh to his right forearm.
Hernandez had zero major league service time.

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ABJ

Real gains for Peralta at shortstop

By Terry Pluto

WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - Jhonny Peralta looks much better at shortstop.
Really.
I know, it's spring training, and you read these kinds of stories every year. One guy loses some weight. Another adds a new pitch. A third will shorten his swing and cut down his strikeouts.
And we'll all live happily ever after.
Only Jhonny Peralta looks better at shortstop.
Really.
Maybe that will change by May. Maybe Peralta won't be in the video room at 1 p.m. before a night game, as he was Thursday in Winter Haven. Maybe this is all a mirage.

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