Indians Tidbits (2008 season)

[NFBuck]

Pronk homerun.

 

[BuckeyeNation27]

cmooooooooon tribe

 

[osugrad21]

ABJ

Bullpen tops list of Tribe priorities Shapiro seeks closer Indians can afford
Published on Thursday, Sep 18, 2008
CLEVELAND: As Cliff Lee throws the first pitch of one of the final home games of the Indians' 2008 season, the mind flashes forward to 2009.
Lee should be throwing the first pitch of next season, an honor that should go to the likely American League Cy Young winner.
That seems a given.
But it leads one to also wonder (hand on chin, eyes peering toward the sky) what the rest of the team will look in 2009.
The answer: A lot like they look this year.
Because the Indians are of the mind that they have good players who either were injured or had off years. They like their starting pitching, and they don't want to spend another $7 million on a guy like Paul Byrd or Ben Sheets.
The Indians are bound financially by the market in which they play. That reality affects the budget, so General Manager Mark Shapiro has to pick and choose what areas of the team he will choose to try to improve.
Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

ABJ

Tribe wins, Lee doesn't Crowd still gives starter big ovation in final home appearance of season
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sports writer

Published on Thursday, Sep 18, 2008
CLEVELAND: In the seventh inning, the fans at Progressive Field stood as one and clapped their hands as Cliff Lee walked to the home dugout for the last time this season, the applause continuing until Edward Mujica had taken half of his warm-up pitches.
Whether it was the longest standing ovation in baseball history for a pitcher who had just allowed two runs and lost the lead cannot be known. The only certainty is that the ace of the Indians' staff deserved the crowd's acclaim.
He was far from his best Wednesday night, giving up four runs (three earned) in 61/3 innings, but that was hardly the point. Lee has delivered far more than anyone could have expected, one of the great seasons in modern baseball history.
Moreover, even after the Minnesota Twins tied the score against Lee, the Tribe regained the advantage and earned a 6-4 victory, sweeping the three-game series and forcing the visitors into desperation mode in their quest for the Central Division championship.
Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

Twins deny Lee, but can't prevent Tribe sweep

by Paul Hoynes Wednesday September 17, 2008, 11:13 PM


Chuck Crow/The Plain DealerA seventh-inning conversation with manager Eric Wedge prompts a smile from Indians lefty Cliff Lee Wednesday night. Wedge left Lee in the game in an effort to stop a Twins' rally, but Minnesota eventually tied the game at 4-4 and knocked Lee out of the game.
The crowd wanted a curtain call, but Cliff Lee, for one of the few times this season, didn't deliver. The Indians beat the Twins, 6-4, Wednesday night to complete a three-game sweep of the staggering AL Central contenders, but that wasn't why a flash crowd of 22,904 came to Progressive Field.
They came to Lee's last home start to say thank you for the first 20-win season by an Indian in 34 years. When Lee sprinted off the field in the seventh inning with the score tied, 4-4, his chances of victory No. 23 dashed, the crowd still rose and cheered in appreciation.
They kept cheering as Lee disappeared into the dugout.
Lee said he didn't hear the cheers.
"I was so focused on what just happened," he said. "I didn't hear anything. I was frustrated how that inning went. Like I said I was concentrating on what just happened. If that was the case [that the fans wanted a curtain call], I apologize for that. I was caught up in the moment."
Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

Lee gave Tribe fans 22 reasons for adulation

by Terry Pluto Wednesday September 17, 2008, 11:35 PM


The pleasure has been ours.
That's what the 22,904 fans at Progressive Field were telling Cliff Lee with a standing ovation as he left the game in seventh inning Wednesday night in what became a 6-4 Tribe victory over Minnesota.
For the Indians, Lee has been the gem in this rubble of a season of surgeries and broken dreams. It's been a year when the Indians went from contenders to pretenders, a year when veterans were traded off for prospects and Waiting For Next Year began before July 4.
But Lee made it special every five games.

Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

Canton

Lee comes up short in bid for 23rd win
Lefty gets no-decision in his last home start
Thursday, September 18, 2008
By JOSH WEIR
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

CLEVELAND Cliff Lee stepped to the Progressive Field mound Wednesday for the final time in 2008.

Tribe fans cheered as his night ended, wanting a curtain call. They didn't get it. They also didn't get to see win No. 23.

But the night wasn't a total loss.

Travis Hafner homered for the first time since before Memorial Day and the Tribe pulled out a 6-4 win, completing a sweep of the scuffling Twins.

Lee wasn't his usual self, leaving after 61⁄3 innings with the game tied, 4-4. He only could have been the loser when he exited with a runner on first, his 11-game winning streak in jeopardy.

"I had to battle. I got about as deep as I could," said Lee (22-2, 2.41 ERA) after throwing 113 pitches. "They forced me to throw a lot of pitches because I wasn't really commanding the ball the way I expect."

Edward Mujica got the final two outs to keep the game tied. Consecutive two-out RBI doubles by Jhonny Peralta and Victor Martinez then put the Tribe back on top, 6-4, in the bottom of the seventh.

Rafael Perez pitched a scoreless eighth and Jensen Lewis, working for the fourth straight day and fifth in the last six, stayed perfect in 10 save chances as the team's closer.
Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

Canton

Indians notebook: Wedge uninterested in spoiler role, more concerned about record
Thursday, September 18, 2008
BY JOSH WEIR
[email protected]

CLEVELAND Don't use the "spoiler" label around Eric Wedge. The Tribe manager wants no part of it.

"We're out here playing to try to win the ballgame," Wedge said before Wednesday night's series finale with the Twins at Progressive Field. "We're trying to win for ourselves, not to ruin anyone else's chances. We're playing to have the best record we can have and finish as strong as we can finish."

The Twins entered the game 21⁄2 games behind Chicago for first place in the Central Division. The Tribe finishes the season with three games at U.S. Cellular Field vs. the White Sox.

Wedge doesn't think his team's approach changes when its facing a contender vs. a non-contender.

"Does that mean we're not going to play as hard against the Royals? That's not the case," he said. "We're going to play as hard as we can against everybody. Now we may or may not play particularly well on that day. We saw that this weekend. But you bounce back and pick yourselves up."

HE'S OK According to RHP Anthony Reyes, he won't need surgery on his inflamed throwing elbow. He said nothing looked wrong in an MRI done Tuesday. Earlier Wednesday, Wedge indicated he had no knowledge of the MRI. Reyes said he'll shut down his arm for a month to get healthy.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS The Indians' released their 2009 schedule on Wednesday. Among the highlights:

Cont...

 

[NFBuck]

For all the injuries and trades this season, it says a lot about the players still here that they're playing so well down the stretch. They've done a total 180 from the absolutely dreadful ball they were playing 2 months ago. I'm gonna say something now I never thought I would...Eric Wedge has done a helluva job.

Great to see the fans giving Lee the standing ovation. He has been absolutely phenominal this year, the best single season pitching performance in recent Tribe history. 22-2...wow.

 

[osugrad21]

ABJ

Pushing pitchers pays off, at times Tribe gets mixed results with Betancourt, Lewis after consecutive days
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sports writer

Published on Friday, Sep 19, 2008
CLEVELAND: Tales of the bullpen:
Tuesday night against the Minnesota Twins, Rafael Betancourt pitched an excruciatingly long two-thirds of an inning in an effort to hold a one-run Indians lead. He failed, allowing the Tribe to fall one run behind by walking four (one intentionally) and giving up an RBI double.
Manager Eric Wedge insisted there were mitigating circumstances in the outing.
''It was Betancourt's third straight day out there,'' he said. ''He looked a little tired. I knew we were pushing it. So I have to tip my cap to him.''
It was mentioned that maybe Betancourt's ultra-slow pace (he will hold the ball at times for six seconds in the stretch position) actually works against him.
''There's a line, and sometimes he approaches it,'' Wedge said. ''But that's also part of his deception [in freezing the runner and the batter]. So if he's performing well, it's fine.''
Wednesday night, Jensen Lewis was pitching for the fourth consecutive day, trying to close out a 6-4 win in the ninth. He allowed an infield hit but otherwise took care of business, recording one strikeout.
''At first, I hated to use him,'' Wedge said. ''I wanted to go with Rafael Perez for two innings, but that idea fell apart'' when he threw 30 pitches in one inning.
Cont..

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

Baffling bat: Garko's power numbers dwindle as his RBI total surges

by Dennis Manoloff Thursday September 18, 2008, 8:20 PM


Ed Zurga/Associated Press Ryan Garko is third on the Indians in RBI, despite his .376 slugging percentage being 10th among regular American League first basemen.
It did not seem possible in late May, when Ryan Garko lost at-bats to Michael Aubrey. Nor does it seem likely given Garko's .376 slugging percentage entering Friday. Some how, some way, Garko has an outside shot at leading the Indians in RBI.
He will finish no lower than third. The first baseman's 79 RBI trail only Grady Sizemore (88) and Jhonny Peralta (84) on the club. Kelly Shoppach is fourth with 55.
"Run production is something I really focused on coming into the year," Garko said. "To have 79 RBI at this point is not too bad, I guess, because I dug a pretty big hole for myself."
Garko batted .225 in March/April and .232 in May. He entered June with a .228 average and 20 RBI in 158 at-bats.
Garko has been able to get the average to .257 in 132 games. His last 59 RBI have come in 305 at-bats.

Sizemore and Peralta have needed considerably more official at-bats to get their RBI. Sizemore enters Friday with 591; Peralta, 566.
Of course, if Garko had not struggled as badly as he did periodically, he probably would have gotten nearly as many at-bats as those two.
"I've been inconsistent," he said. "I've gone through a few tough stretches. The important thing is, I'm learning. It's a process, and I'm learning what it takes to be consistent at this level."

Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

Indians Insider: Lewis finds closer's job tiring, but rewarding

by Dennis Manoloff Thursday September 18, 2008, 7:15 PM



The Indians are expected to shop for a closer in the off-season. Meanwhile, homegrown Jensen Lewis is 10-for-10 in save opportunities since becoming the Tribe's closer. He had one blown save before getting the job in early August.
"I'm just glad they keep giving me the ball," he said.
Lewis spoke Wednesday night after working his fourth straight day. He saved the Indians' 6-4 victory over Minnesota.
"I love pitching -- but I'm glad we're off [Thursday]," he said.
Lewis said he had never pitched four days in a row. During batting practice Wednesday, he told manager Eric Wedge and pitching coach Carl Willis that he would be ready if needed.

"The key is controlling your body and not trying to do too much," he said. "You've got to focus on staying on top of the ball."
The pressure of closing is supposed to make a pitcher's legs turn to noodles. Lewis seems to be impervious. Of course, he has not been forced to respond to failure.
"This is a pretty good gig," he said. "It's exciting. I like having a lot of responsibility."
Lewis was the 102nd overall pick in 2005 out of Vanderbilt.
"We know Jensen's a guy who potentially can close for us next year," GM Mark Shapiro said.

 

[LitlBuck]

For all the injuries and trades this season, it says a lot about the players still here that they're playing so well down the stretch. They've done a total 180 from the absolutely dreadful ball they were playing 2 months ago. I'm gonna say something now I never thought I would...Eric Wedge has done a helluva job.

Great to see the fans giving Lee the standing ovation. He has been absolutely phenominal this year, the best single season pitching performance in recent Tribe history. 22-2...wow.

I knew what you were going to say and I can't believe you actually finish the sentence and said it. The players also started hitting and the bullpen started helping out so let's not give him too much credit:) Have a safe journey back own!

 

[NFBuck]

@ the Tigers.

 

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