Indians Tidbits (2008 season)

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Dispatch

Indians: Greatest of care gets aces set for long haul

Tuesday, March 4, 2008 3:14 AM
By Scott Priestle


The Columbus Dispatch

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- Throwing a baseball requires an unnatural motion for the human arm. Each pitch takes a toll. So throwing 110 every fifth day for six months is at once a point of pride and a cause for concern.
Indians ace C.C. Sabathia has done so for seven straight seasons, and team officials monitored every pitch. He threw more last season than ever before, so team officials are watching him even more closely this season. Ditto for teammate Fausto Carmona.

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Link

Notes: Carmona shakes off tough debut
Tyner officially invited to big league camp; Lee remains sick

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- To hear Fausto Carmona talk, you wouldn't know he won 19 games and finished fourth in the American League Cy Young voting last year.

Carmona said he feels no different about his position with the Indians this spring than he did a year ago at this time -- when he was nothing more than a sixth, depth starter set to fill in for an injured Cliff Lee. "Coming into this year, I have an opportunity to be in the rotation," Carmona said through bullpen catcher Dennis Malave, acting as an interpreter. "But I've still got to do my work."

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Grady and Grandy a dynamic duo
AL Central should enjoy two young stars for a long time


They are the centerpiece center fielders in what should be a captivating American League Central campaign.
They share not only a position on the field and in their respective batting orders but also a passion and work ethic that make them a manager's dream.
And, lucky for us, their long-term contracts ensure they'll be grouped on the Great Lakes for years to come. The Indians' Grady Sizemore and the Tigers' Curtis Granderson don't mind being compared to each other, because to draw such a parallel is to implicitly praise their talents.

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[osugrad21]

ABJ

Lee in early lead for 5th spot Laffey, Sowers struggle in short stints against Reds. Battle far from over
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sportswriter

Published on Wednesday, Mar 05, 2008
SARASOTA, FLA.: The three-headed monster that is the Indians' No. 5 starter was on display Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds.
It was Cliff Lee starting with Aaron Laffey and Jeremy Sowers following, neither of the latter two very successfully. All three are competing for the final spot in the rotation, and if the decision rested on Tuesday's outing, Lee would be the winner by acclimation.
But this is not an election. Each pitcher has several more appearances to help or hurt his cause. In addition, manager Eric Wedge will not base his decision on spring training performances alone.
''It will not be based on results,'' Wedge said. ''It's what we are seeing.''
Moreover, track records will count, which is a plus for Lee, who was a solid winner before falling on his sword last year.
On the other hand, as Lee said, ''It doesn't really matter what you did in the past. . . . I don't have a spot because of that.''
He had little trouble vanquishing hitters Tuesday.


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[osugrad21]

CPD

INDIANS INSIDER
Cleveland Indians' Andy Marte gets his first hit of spring training


Wednesday, March 05, 2008Bud Shaw
Plain Dealer Reporter
Sarasota, Fla.- Andy Marte got his first hit of spring training, not that anyone - except him - was counting.
The Indians can tell him to relax. Manager Eric Wedge can talk about giving him space. But hits beat the alternative any time of year. And for Marte, validation, big or small, is welcome.
"I thought I hit the ball pretty well [Monday], and now I finally got my first hit," he said. "When I'm driving the ball in the middle of the field like that, that's when I know I'm swinging well."
Wedge said: "I just want him to see the ball and have good takes up there. He's really worked hard in batting practice. If he puts up good at-bats, he's going to naturally drive the ball."
Marte doubled to left-center in the second inning, bringing home Asdrubal Cabrera and Kelly Shoppach for a brief 2-0 lead. The Reds won, 7-4, in a rain-shortened game.
Marte also got the start at first base against Cincinnati. The idea is to play him at third, first and also in the outfield.




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[osugrad21]

CPD

INDIANS SPRING TRAINING
Cleveland Indians pitcher Cliff Lee tries to secure spot in rotation


Wednesday, March 05, 2008Bud Shaw
Plain Dealer Reporter
Sarasota, Fla.- Cliff Lee calls last year a "humbling experience." Baseball is an especially greedy game in that regard.
Lee isn't getting off the mat easily in a spring where a job in the rotation is not guaranteed and where, in addition to his competition with Aaron Laffey and Jeremy Sowers, he has battled a sinus infection.
"I was pitching [Tuesday] regardless," Lee said of an illness that postponed his spring debut and forced him to return to the doctor for a second batch of antibiotics.
He threw a scoreless inning against the Reds in a rain-shortened game Tuesday. Cincinnati won, 7-4, in part because Laffey pitched as if he'd been bed-ridden and Sowers was victimized by some pesky hitting and his own throwing error.
Lee retired leadoff hitter Ryan Freel on a sinking liner to first, allowed a single to center and then retired Ken Griffey Jr. on a double-play grounder. That was as good as it got in the race for the No. 5 spot.
"I felt like I at least threw the ball remotely close to where I wanted to," said Lee. "The timing of [the illness] wasn't great, but I had no control over it. It was only four or five days [though], and it's still early."
A sinus infection is a minor inconvenience after last spring when an abdominal strain cost Lee his entire spring training. Manager Eric Wedge said Lee "never caught up." His 5-8 record and 6.29 earned-run average is proof of it.



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