Indians Tidbits (2008 season)

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

Word from Indians camp

Saturday, March 8, 2008 6:45 AM




HOME FIELD: CHAIN OF LAKES PARK, WINTER HAVEN, FLA. WEB SITE: The Official Site of The Cleveland Indians: Homepage
? Yesterday's game: Lost to the Mets 8-6. Cliff Lee was pulled in the first inning after allowing two runs and three hits. Travis Hafner had two doubles and three RBI. Joe Borowski allowed his third home run of the spring (including one allowed in the intrasquad game).
? Today's game: vs. Philadelphia, 1:05 p.m., Winter Haven. Fausto Carmona and Aaron Laffey will pitch.



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[osugrad21]

Canton

Indians notebook: Alomar still has fans
Saturday, March 8, 2008


WINTER HAVEN, Fla. The fans pushed against the right-field fence at Chain of Lakes Park, clamoring for an autograph. They thrust pictures, programs and baseballs over the fence to be signed.

A typical spring training scene was anything but typical Friday. The object of the fans' affection was not an Indians player. In fact, he wasn't a player at all. The tall fellow wearing sunglasses and a blue warmup jacket while furiously scribbling his name was Sandy Alomar Jr. of the New York Mets ? the most famous bullpen coach in baseball.

"I was sitting at home in Chicago, looking forward to staying home for a year or so," Alomar said. "Then I got this phone call. It was a great opportunity, one I couldn't pass by."

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[osugrad21]

Canton

Indians manager explains philosophy of creating a lineup
Friday, March 7, 2008
By Andy Call
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

KISSIMMEE, Fla. Spring training lineups rarely resemble the batting order teams will use during the regular season. There are too many players who need to be seen, youngsters whose skills need to be analyzed.

When Indians Manager Eric Wedge addressed the subject of his 2008 batting order Thursday, he did so while preparing to field a lineup that included minor-league first baseman Michael Aubrey batting third and outfielder Ben Francisco batting cleanup. He also did so with a qualifier.

"This is all speculation," Wedge said. "I'm not locking anything in."

Grady Sizemore will bat leadoff, Travis Hafner third and Victor Martinez fourth. Wedge said those choices are "obvious."

The second spot, however, is not so obvious. It could be young second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera. It could also be the left-field platoon of David Dellucci and Jason Michaels. Wedge said he has been considering batting Cabrera seventh or eighth.

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[osugrad21]

Canton

Josh Barfield still feels he can win job with Indians
Saturday, March 8, 2008
BY Andy Call
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. Josh Barfield believes it still can happen. His manager says he agrees.

The 25-year-old second baseman knows, however, he must make significant adjustments to regain the starting job he lost last season. Barfield is trying to avoid being sent to Triple-A, but must beat out Asdrubal Cabrera this spring to do so.

"I feel like I'm getting better, and I feel like they'll have a place for me," Barfield said Friday. "They've shown enough confidence in me to give me another chance."

"Nobody is out of it at this point," Manager Eric Wedge said. "Josh made a strong commitment over the winter. He's worked hard with (hitting coach) Derek Shelton to make adjustments."

Barfield was given a day off Friday but is batting .286 (4-for-14) this spring with four strikeouts and two walks.

Strikeouts and walks are important statistics for Barfield, who struggled to get on base last season (.270 on-base percentage).

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Link

Notes: Two-hole not set for Tribe
Wedge doesn't want to put too much pressure on Cabrera

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- In a 2006 season filled with learning experiences, one that really stuck out to Indians manager Eric Wedge was the mistake he claims he made handing the No. 3 spot of the batting order to Jhonny Peralta on Opening Day.
Wedge had good reason to do so, of course, as Peralta had seized that spot in the second half of '05. But Wedge has since learned to appreciate the distinct differences between a young player taking advantage of an opportunity late in a year and that same player being handed a particular spot in April.

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Link

Brown has eye on even bigger prize
Two Minor League MVPs not satisfying for Tribe prospect

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- When the Carolina and Eastern Leagues each handed Jordan Brown an MVP trophy over the last two seasons, they were essentially restating the obvious.
A look at Brown's numbers from 2006 (.290 average, 15 homers, 26 doubles, 87 RBIs at Class A Kinston) and '07 (.333, 11 homers, 36 doubles, 76 RBIs at Double-A Akron) is all it takes to know the Indians' first base prospect was doing something right. "You really don't need an award to know you had a good season," Brown said. "Don't get me wrong, I love 'em. Anyone who says they don't is full of it. But awards will come if you perform well."

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Link

Notes: No solid rule on spring workload
Some pitchers have felt soreness after extra bullpen sessions


WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- One Indians starter, Jake Westbrook, has complained about arm soreness related to his Spring Training bullpen sessions.
Another, C.C. Sabathia, is talking about how great he feels as a result of cutting back on the bullpens. This would lead one to wonder whether a general change in procedure might be in order. But the Indians handle their hurlers' spring workloads on a case-by-case basis.

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

I love this kid......

Link

Francisco's time with Tribe likely limited
Despite spring stats, outfielder expected to open in Triple-A


WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- A smile creeps across the face of Ben Francisco whenever the topic comes up.
June 29, 2007. A 1-1 game between the Indians and Rays at the ballpark formerly known as Jacobs Field. Francisco, making his first big league start, steps up to bat to lead off the bottom of the ninth against Shawn Camp. A 2-2 slider, a swing of the bat, a ball sent hurtling into the left-field bleachers and, just like that, a memory Francisco will carry with him forever.

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[LitlBuck]

I love this kid......

Link

He is another young quality OF that the Indians will keep on jerking around with and lose him because they will run him out of options.

Every time he has been up in Cleveland and gotten some bats he has done fairly well. I would rather see him of the big-league roster rather than some of those overall outfielders that they're going to stick in left field.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Word from Indians camp

Sunday, March 9, 2008 4:35 AM

HOME FIELD: CHAIN OF LAKES PARK, WINTER HAVEN, FLA. WEB SITE: WWW.INDIANS.COM


Yesterday's game: Beat Philadelphia 9-5. There were 20 mph winds blowing out to right field. Fausto Carmona threw three scoreless innings. Ryan Garko had a double, a home run and four RBI, and utility player Andy Gonzalez hit a three-run homer.

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

Carmona, Garko in groove as Indians beat Phillies, 9-5

Posted by [URL="http://blog.cleveland.com/tribetracker/about.html"]Joey Morona[/URL] March 08, 2008 16:50PM

The Indians have said they would be fortunate if Fausto Carmona wins 19 games again this season.
While we're barely into March, Carmona looked in good form in his second start of the spring on Saturday. The 24-year old right-hander threw three scoreless innings, giving up two hits, walking one and striking out three in a 9-5 win over the Phillies.

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

Baseball insider

Posted by [URL="http://blog.cleveland.com/sports/about.html"]Paul Hoynes[/URL] March 08, 2008 20:30PM

Categories: Indians
Winter Haven, Fla. -- Every day the two friends exchange phone calls. One day Fausto Carmona calls Juan Lara. The next day Lara calls Carmona.
Lara is in Cleveland, recovering at Lutheran Hospital from a near-fatal car accident during the winter ball season in the Dominican Republic. Carmona is in camp with the Indians, trying to build off his 19-win season in 2007.
After a motorcycle hit Lara's SUV in the early-morning hours of Nov. 26, one of Lara's friends called Carmona at 6 a.m. to tell him about the accident. Carmona called an official at the Indians baseball academy on the island. A call to Progressive Field soon followed.

cONTINUED.......

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

Sizing up Tribe bullpen

Posted by [URL="http://blog.cleveland.com/sports/about.html"]Paul Hoynes[/URL] March 08, 2008 20:45PM

Categories: Indians

Winter Haven, Fla. -- Bullpens are built on sand, not concrete. The sturdy arms that turned back wave upon wave of hitters one season can wash away the next.
In the past four years, the Indians have had two good bullpens and two bad ones.
Last year's pen went 26-17 and ranked fourth in ERA and first in saves in the American League. The 2006 pen went 16-27 and ranked 11th in ERA and last in saves with 24. In 2005, the pen went 22-18 and ranked first in ERA at 2.80 and third in saves with 51. In 2004, the pen went 31-33 and ranked 12th in ERA and 11th in saves with 32.

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

Indians rely on cup of Joe
[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Closer Borowski makes latte health changes[/FONT]
Sunday, March 9, 2008
BY Andy Call
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER


WINTER HAVEN, Fla. You, too, can have Body By Joe.

To achieve a physique resembling that of Indians closer Joe Borowski, however, there are a few requirements.

First, 90 minutes a day of cardiovascular work in addition to a relatively normal amount of strength training and flexibility exercises. Now, about the diet. Let's try no food after 6 p.m. and no complex carbohydrate. Borowski said he eats pasta only a couple of times each year.

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[osugrad21]

ABJ

Tribe being careful with Miller By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sportswriter

Published on Monday, Mar 10, 2008
WINTER HAVEN, FLA.: Adam Miller still has not thrown a pitch in a game, and he doesn't know when he will.
The No. 1 prospect in the Indians' farm system came to camp still recovering from a strained middle finger on his throwing hand, and during a bullpen session he added to his problems by developing a blister on the same finger.
That was two weeks ago. The blister has healed and allegedly the strained ligament is no longer a handicap. Tribe officials say they are merely being careful.
''We're just giving him some time off to let that thing heal,'' manager Eric Wedge said Sunday.


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