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Indians Tidbits (2008 season)

ABJ

Indians notebook
Tribe loses 4-3 to Astros in second exhibition game
Aubry singles, doubles, drives in run at 2 at-bats
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sportswriter

Published on Saturday, Mar 01, 2008


KISSIMMEE, FLA.: Edward Mujica failed to preserve a one-run lead in the ninth inning, as the Astros beat the Indians 4-3 Friday in the second exhibition game of the spring.
It's far too early to evaluate any of the Tribe's pitchers, but Mujica is competing for the seventh and final spot in the bullpen, and his performance against Houston didn't make his job easier.

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ABJ

SPRING TRAINING
Kobayashi pitches himself in, out of fix
He retires side in debut without giving up a run
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sportswriter

Published on Saturday, Mar 01, 2008


KISSIMMEE, FLA.: It was an important day in the life of Masa Kobayashi, and it was duly recorded by a swarm of Japanese videographers and print reporters.
Kobayashi made his major-league debut Friday, and never mind that it came in an exhibition game that does not count in the standings. Also on hand to watch the Indians play the Astros were at least a dozen scouts, some of whom showed up specifically to get a look at Kobayashi.

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Dispatch

Spring spotlight: Masahide Kobayashi

Saturday, March 1, 2008 3:05 AM

Dispatch reporter Scott Priestle is in Florida, splitting time between Reds and Indians spring training camps. Today, he brings you ?
Masahide Kobayashi

Indians reliever

Age: 33
Major-league experience: None
Last season: Saved 27 games for Chiba Lotte of the Japanese Pacific League, his seventh consecutive season of 20 or more saves
This season: Middle reliever or setup man

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CPD

Indians Insider

Posted by [URL="http://blog.cleveland.com/sports/about.html"]Bud Shaw[/URL] February 29, 2008 23:22PM

Categories: Indians
Unlucky Kobayashi impresses
Bud Shaw
Plain Dealer Reporter

Kissimmee, Fla. -- The biggest difference between baseball in Japan and his first major-league camp is Masa Kobayashi's knowledge bank. This one is understandably short on deposits.
"[Here] I don't know anything about the other team," Kobayashi said Friday after making his spring-training debut against Houston.
What he did know was trouble when he saw it. The first three Houston hitters reached base against the 33-year-old reliever.
A liner off Andy Marte's glove put one runner on. Houston loaded the bases on a slow roller to right and a well-placed infield grounder.

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CPD

Marte's biggest priority? Relax

Posted by [URL="http://blog.cleveland.com/sports/about.html"]Bud Shaw[/URL] February 29, 2008 19:49PM

Categories: Indians
Bud Shaw
Plain Dealer Reporter

Kissimmee, Fla. -- The Indians' approach to Andy Marte this spring falls just short of suggesting he try meditation tapes and sit at his locker in the lotus position.
The message: relax, and turn off the Google search for information going on in his head when he steps into the box.
"It felt so great when they told me that," said Marte. "I'm feeling more comfortable and enjoying the game more."
The best thing to happen to Marte since the January 2006 trade that sent Coco Crisp to Boston didn't involve him. A few months after Marte's arrival, the Indians sent second baseman Brandon Phillips packing to Cincinnati where he blossomed

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Link

Notes: Modest Tribe set to defend
Wedge looking for consistentcy from AL Central champs

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- When he took over as manager of the Cleveland Indians before the 2003 season the team was in a rebuilding process some thought would take several years.

Five years later Eric Wedge, the reigning American League Manager of the Year, presides over the AL Central champions. The Indians went 96-66 last season before eliminating the New York Yankees in the AL Division Series. As they prepare to defend their crown, the Indians are a far cry from that 2003 team, which was largely young and inexperienced. But for Wedge, the job hasn't changed all that much.

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Link

Kobayashi debuts to much fanfare
Right-hander gets out of bases-loaded jam against Houston
By Jim Molony / MLB.com

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Might Masa mania be coming to Cleveland this summer?

Maybe so.
Though he wasn't overpowering in his Spring Training debut on Friday, Indians right-hander Masahide Kobayashi gave hints of why the Indians were willing to give him a two-year, $6.25 million contract sight unseen this winter. "He throws harder than I expected and it looks like he has a good idea of how to go after [hitters]," said one scout who watched Kobayashi pitch a scoreless inning against Houston. "I can see why [the Indians] liked him. He'll help them this year."

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Canton

Indians notebook: Byrd waiting on MLB
[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]HGH situation remains in limbo[/FONT]
Saturday, March 1, 2008
By Andy Call
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

KISSIMMEE, Fla. For Paul Byrd, no news is not necessarily good news.

"As soon as I know, I'll let you guys know," Byrd told reporters of potential penalties that might be leveled against him by Major League Baseball as a result of his use of human growth hormone.

"I'm in limbo. I know they're doing a very thorough investigation. ... There will be no vanishing of this into thin air."

Byrd made his first start of spring training during Friday's 4-3 loss to Houston. He allowed one run on four hits in two innings, but also induced two double-play ground balls.

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Dispatch

Hafner has a lot on plate
Indians DH seeks to bounce back from subpar year
Sunday, March 2, 2008 3:23 AM
By Scott Priestle


The Columbus Dispatch

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- Even when he feels his best at the plate, Travis Hafner pores over video of his swing and works himself into a heavy sweat in the weight room and batting cage. The Indians' designated hitter rarely felt his best last season, so his obsessions took on greater urgency.
When the season ended, Hafner discarded the videos -- and, he hopes, the frustration that followed him from April through October.
"I really haven't looked back on last year at all," he said after a recent workout, which followed an exhibition game. "I'm just focused on this year."

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CPD

Indians and Tigers play to 3-3 tie

Posted by [URL="http://blog.cleveland.com/sports/about.html"][EMAIL="[email protected]"][email protected][/EMAIL][/URL] March 01, 2008 16:56PM

Categories: Indians
Score: Indians 3, Tigers 3, 10 innings at Joker Marchant Stadium, Lakeland, Fla.

Attendance: 9,068 (sellout).

Weather: 78 degrees and hot.

First punch: The Tigers took a 2-0 lead against C.C. Sabathia in the first. Placido Polanco doubled and scored on Brandon Inge's single. New Tiger Miguel Cabrera scored Inge with a long double to right.

Early pop: Ben Francisco made it 2-1 with a leadoff homer off Dontrelle Willis, another new Tiger, in the second.

In the clutch: Victor Martinez made it 2-2 with a two-out single to right in the third to score Grady Sizemore. With one out, Sizemore singled for the second straight time and took second on Jason Michaels' grounder to right.

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ABJ

Tribe-Tigers rivalry coming to surface
Willis' move to Detroit makes competition more personal for C.C.
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sportswriter

Published on Sunday, Mar 02, 2008

LAKELAND, FLA.: It was just another exhibition game. The score didn't matter. By next week at this time, the participants won't even remember who won.
But there seemed to be a little edge to the proceedings between the Indians and Detroit Tigers on Saturday at Joker Marchant Stadium.
The Tigers are picked by most observers to win the American League Central Division. After the offseason acquisitions of Dontrelle Willis, Miguel Cabrera and Edgar Renteria, the Tigers are considered by many to be almost a lock to win the division title.

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DDN

Ex-Tribe Catcher Discusses Steroid Past

By TOM WITHERS
AP Sports Writer
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. ? Overwhelmed with regret and pained by a shortsighted decision he wishes he could take back, Tim Laker began moving away from his tainted past.
Laker, a former major league catcher who admitted in the Mitchell Report that he injected himself with steroids to gain an edge, expressed sadness and deep remorse Sunday as he discussed cheating the game he loves.
"I made a poor decision, a mistake," a contrite and ashamed Laker said. "And all I can do is ask for forgiveness and move on."
One of more than 80 current and former players named in the report, Laker played with Montreal, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay and Cleveland from 1992-2005. He managed in the Indians' minor league system last year, but decided not to this season partly because of health concerns. He's currently a roving catching instructor for Cleveland.



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ABJ

Notebook
Westbrook feels good after one inning After missing first start, right-hander is solid in debut against Tigers
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sportswriter

Published on Monday, Mar 03, 2008
WINTER HAVEN, FLA.: The three-day postponement of his first spring training start was worth it for Jake Westbrook.
He took the mound against the Detroit Tigers Sunday at Chain O' Lakes Park, retired the three batters he faced, then completed the 25-pitch outing in the bullpen.
''Everything looked really good,'' Indians manager Eric Wedge said. ''He was strong and under control. He also threw the ball where he wanted to.''
Westbrook won't pitch again until Sunday ? throwing a bullpen session in between ? but he is expected to go three innings, depending on his pitch count. His initial start of exhibition season was delayed because of ''general soreness'' in his right arm, a condition that plagues him for a couple of weeks every spring.


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ABJ

Ocker on the Indians
Columbus likely as Triple-A affiliate New ballpark in 2009, SportsTimeOhio are carrots
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Sunday, Mar 02, 2008




Why are there always more questions than answers?
Will the Indians abandon Buffalo and sign a deal with Columbus to be their Triple-A affiliate?
From all accounts, the Tribe's deep-thinkers are pleased to have their highest farm team in Buffalo, where the Rich family runs one of the most professional operations in the minor leagues. The stadium is first class, the treatment is first class and the team is only three hours from Cleveland.
Columbus, on the other hand, is not known for being a well-oiled machine. True, the city is only 21/2 hours from Progressive Field, but that's not a big deal.
But this is: Columbus will have a new downtown ballpark in 2009. That would be a nice perk for the Indians, but there is a more important reason they are considering a change of venue. SportsTime Ohio already airs games in the capital city, and it would be a natural fit for the Tribe to field a Triple-A team in Central Ohio.


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Canton

Tribe coach talks about his past use of steroids
Monday, March 3, 2008
By Andy Call
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. When Tim Laker first decided to use steroids, he didn't think about Ginger or Brando.

Laker didn't know he would one day have a wife and teenage stepson. He didn't know that those people, as well as his mother, would one day have to answer questions about a particularly bad decision he made as a young professional baseball player.

"When you're 25 and you have everything in front of you, you get short-sighted," Laker said. "I definitely didn't think about it enough, or the ramifications 12 years down the road."

Cleveland's roving minor-league catching instructor met with reporters Sunday to discuss his use of steroids detailed in the Mitchell Report. That document resulted from Major League Baseball's investigation into performance-enhancing drug use among its players.

"I regret what I did for a lot of reasons, No. 1 being the pain it's caused my family," Laker said.

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