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Indians Tidbits (2008 season)

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CPD

Outfielder Ben Francisco to return to Cleveland Indians


Monday, May 05, 2008Dennis Manoloff
Plain Dealer Reporter
Outfielder Ben Francisco appears to be coming back to the Indians.
After the second game of the Class AAA Buffalo Bisons' doubleheader Sunday, Francisco told Buffalo News reporter Mike Harrington that he would be recalled in time for the Indians' series in New York that begins Tuesday.
Francisco told Harrington that he had been informed by Buffalo manager Torey Lovullo of the promotion.

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Canton

Indians notes: Laffey makes most of second start
Monday, May 5, 2008
BY Andy Call
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

CLEVELAND Aaron Laffey tried not to devote too much mental energy to determining who would water the plants at his apartment in Buffalo.

The 23-year-old left-hander was called up April 28 to start against New York in the place of injured Jake Westbrook. He carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before allowing four runs during a 5-2 loss. He was given another start because left-hander Jeremy Sowers couldn't be recalled for 10 days.

"I didn't even know that was a rule," Laffey admitted. "All I tried to think about was that day anyway. When you're getting ready to pitch against the Yankees, that's enough to think about."

Friday's rainout could have resulted in Laffey's turn in the rotation being skipped, but he was given another reprieve. The Indians elected to have him start Sunday, and he allowed only an unearned run over seven innings of a 2-0 loss to Kansas City.

"I was very impressed with the way Aaron pitched today," Manager Eric Wedge said. "In situations where it looked like they might put together an inning, he stayed out there and squashed it. He made pitches."

Laffey allowed four hits and two walks, striking out five. The only run off Laffey came in the fifth when a two-out hit and walk were followed by third baseman Casey Blake's throwing error.
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Canton

Tribe bats in a rut
[FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Career-long Indians punching bag fights back[/FONT]
Monday, May 5, 2008
BY Andy Call
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

CLEVELAND Sunday was Kids Fun Day at Progressive Field, the time children are invited to run the bases after a home game.

Those kids found the basepaths to be in very good shape. They certainly hadn't gotten much use during the game.

Four hits was all the Tribe could manage Sunday against career-long Indians punching bag Gil Meche as Kansas City rolled up a 2-0 shutout victory. The loss marked the sixth time in the last seven games, and 16th time in 31 games this season, the Indians had scored fewer than four runs.

"I don't think it should ever be like it is right now, where everybody is struggling," Manager Eric Wedge said. "The guys you are counting on most are the ones you want to lead the way. The younger guys will follow. The guys who have been here three, four, five years need to be the ones to lead the way."
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ABJ

Slumping Indians to release Michaels Outfielder Ben Francisco returning from Buffalo to help Tribe battle back
By Stephanie Storm
and Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sportswriters

Published on Tuesday, May 06, 2008
CLEVELAND: Indians General Manager Mark Shapiro held a conference call on the team's day off Monday to announce officially what had been rumored for a few days: The team will designate veteran outfielder Jason Michaels for assignment and recall rookie Ben Francisco from Triple-A Buffalo today.
''(Francisco) is an outfielder that we felt potentially could give our club a spark. (He's) obviously got more power and has the ability to not necessarily be a platoon guy,'' Shapiro said. ''He has been a guy who has hit left- and right-handed pitching,
so he gives [Indians manager] Eric [Wedge] the ability to both keep [left fielder] David Dellucci strong and healthy and also protect [right fielder] Franklin Gutierrez some as well.''
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ABJ

Struggling Betancourt can't close out emotions Filling in for injured Borowski not going well
By Stephanie Storm
Beacon Journal sportswriter
POSTED: 12:33 p.m. EDT, May 05, 2008
CLEVELAND: Closing baseball games is not for the meek of heart. To be successful, it requires being aggressive, but if failure comes, short-term memory loss is beneficial.
Rafael Betancourt has the first part of his new role down pat ? it's the way he always has pitched in cementing his role as the Tribe's super setup man.
Containing his emotions is what the right-hander needs to work on in order to successfully fill in as the Indians closer with veteran Joe Borowski sidelined with right biceps tendinitis.
To compound the tricky transition, Betancourt wasn't been pitching like his normal self before he took over closing on April 15 ? a problem he insists has to do simply with location.
''My last couple of outings, I haven't been able to throw the ball where I want to,'' said Betancourt, 33. ''When you come out of the bullpen, closing or not, you don't have time to adjust if your location is off. You don't have time to figure out what's wrong and fix it.''
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CPD

Cleveland Indians designate outfielder Jason Michaels for assignment and call up outfielder Ben Francisco


Tuesday, May 06, 2008Paul Hoynes
Plain Dealer Reporter
The changes have begun for the weak-hitting Indians. More may be coming, but General Manager Mark Shapiro still wants his team to heal itself from inside out instead of outside in.
Shapiro announced Monday that outfielder Jason Michaels has been designated for assignment, and Ben Francisco, another outfielder, will take his place on the 25-man roster. Francisco, who hit .346 (9-for-26) in spring training but didn't make the team, will join the Indians today in New York to start a three-game series against the Yankees.
The roster move becomes official today because Francisco wasn't eligible to join the Indians on Monday since he hadn't been in Class AAA Buffalo for 10 days after being demoted April 26.

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CPD

On deck: Indians at New York Yankees



Tuesday, May 06, 2008

When: Today through Thursday.
Where: Yankee Stadium.
TV/radio: WKYC Channel 3 tonight, SportsTime Ohio on Wednesday and Thursday; WMMS FM/100.7 tonight, WTAM AM/1100 on Wednesday and Thursday.

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CPD

PAUL HOYNES' LAST TRAIN TO YANKEE STADIUM

Cleveland Indians last trip to Yankee Stadium, and Plain Dealer beat writer Paul Hoynes shares some memories



Tuesday, May 06, 2008 Paul Hoynes

Plain Dealer Reporter
It's about 30 minutes from Grand Central Station to the Bronx on the subway. Most of the trip takes place underground, where the only light is man-made. On the way there, especially on weekday afternoons, the subway cars are packed with people going and coming from work and students headed home after school.
Just before the 161st Street stop, the train pops into the sunlight at rooftop level. On one side are the tarred roofs of a crowded neighborhood. On the other is Yankee Stadium. As the sub way train slows, slivers of green outfield grass can be seen between openings in the ballpark's back wall.
It's always the best part of the ride. Out of the darkness, into the light, and the first thing you see is Yankee Stadium. That will change now, this being the old ballpark's final season. A new ballpark is being built nearby for $1.3 billion, but it will not be the first thing you see after escaping from the belly of the Bronx on the No. 4 uptown train from Grand Central.

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