Indians Tidbits (2008 season)

[osugrad21]

CPD

Cleveland Indians, C.C. Sabathia get pummeled by the Tigers

Tigers circle bases on woeful Sabathia
Thursday, April 17, 2008Paul Hoynes
Plain Dealer Reporter
In 2006, flush with promise, the Indians deliv ered a fourth- place finish. They won 93 games in 2005 and went down to the last day of the regular season with a chance to make the playoffs.
Big heads and a bad bullpen undid the Indians in 2006, but manager Eric Wedge says the same thing can't happen to this year's team. They learned too from much last year in winning the AL Central and reaching the seventh game of the ALCS. They're too mature, tough and confident.
After C.C. Sabathia and the Indians were manhandled by the Tigers on Wednesday night, 13-2, 2008 is starting to look a lot like 2006 whether Wedge likes it or not.
The Indians were celebrated last year. Sabathia won the AL Cy Young Award. Wedge was AL Manager of the Year. They tied the world champion Red Sox for the most victories in the regular season with 96.
The reality of April has brought that celebration to a halt.
Sabathia (0-3, 13.50) is winless in four starts. He's lost his last three, allowing 22 earned runs on 26 hits in 12 2/3 innings. Batters are hitting .390 (32-for-82) against him for the season.




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[osugrad21]

CPD

Cleveland Indians Insider: help for right field, platoon on hold


Thursday, April 17, 2008Paul Hoynes
Plain Dealer Reporter
The Indians have yet to send an SOS to Ben Francisco at Class AAA Buffalo. Jason Michaels, half of the left-field platoon, is hitting .097 (3-for-31) and right fielder Franklin Gutierrez entered Wednesday night's game against Detroit hitting .171 (7-for-41).
"We're not there yet," said manager Eric Wedge. "We're a couple of weeks in. I respect the length of the season. I also respect the urgency of each and every game. It's a fine line you have to walk.
"You have to walk it with the right heartbeat. That's something people tend to forget. You've got 162 games. You've got to play with a sense of urgency, but you've got to play with a sense of calm."
Francisco, who hit .362 (17-for-47) in spring training, is hitting .222 (10-for-45) with two RBI at Buffalo.
Like Francisco, Michaels had a great spring. It has not carried into the regular season.
"He's pressing," said Wedge "He's far enough along in his career, and mature enough, where he knows better than that. Guys get in a hurry to try and make up. You can't do that. You've got to take care of today."
Gutierrez, like Francisco and Michaels, had a strong spring. He had three hits in the season opener and hasn't done much sense.




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[osugrad21]

CPD
Cleveland Indians pitcher C.C. Sabathia looks lost, says The Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto


Thursday, April 17, 2008
Cabathia leaned on the dugout railing, staring at the diamond. It was the look of utter shock, of a heavy heart, of a mind so full of questions that when he tries to answer, he comes up empty.
The ace of the Indians pitching staff feels lost after being shelled, this time for nine runs in four innings as Detroit slammed the Tribe, 13-2, Wednesday night.
This was the second game in a row in which the 2007 Cy Young Award winner has been battered for nine runs. His record this year is 0-3 with a 13.50 ERA in four starts.
Dating back to the start of the 2007 postseason, it's the seventh start he's failed to pitch more than six innings, his ERA being 11.34 in the span.
No wonder why Sabathia just stared at the field, wondering how it all went wrong.
The stat freaks point to his career-high 256 1/3 innings last season, including the postseason, 45 more than he's ever pitched. He also was sixth in all of baseball in pitches thrown during the regular season.
Wear and tear on the arm would be their diagnosis.
After the game, manager Eric Wedge and Sabathia both spoke in hushed tones, and both insisted the lefty was fine physically. The radar gun readings on his fastball were 93-96 mph, his normal range.




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[osugrad21]

Canton

It's another bad night for Sabathia
Gives up nine runs in 13-2 loss to Tigers
Thursday, April 17, 2008
BY Andy Call
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

CLEVELAND It's not an injury. It's not the next contract. It's not improper mechanics.

The question of just what has happened to C.C. Sabathia has become as confounding for the defending Cy Young Award winner as for those who watch him pitch. Sabathia took the mound Wednesday night and got kicked around for the fourth time in as many starts, giving up nine runs in four innings of the Indians' 13-2 loss to Detroit at Progressive Field.

"I've pitched four games, and I haven't given my team a chance to win yet," Sabathia said. "That's unacceptable."

Cleveland's seventh loss in nine games was a team effort. Three of the four relief pitchers who followed Sabathia (0-3) gave up runs. The batting order managed one hit in 6 2/3 innings off Tigers right-hander Armando Galarraga (1-0), making his second big-league start.

TAKING BAD APPROACH

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[osugrad21]

Canton

Indians notebook: AL Central favorites are struggling at the outset
Thursday, April 17, 2008
BY Andy Call
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

CLEVELAND This is not where the Indians and Tigers expected to be on April 16.

True, both teams expected to be at Progressive Field. The 2008 schedule was drawn up months ago. Neither, however, expected this week's abbreviated two-game series would determine at least temporary ownership of last place in the Central Division.

"There's obviously a lot of great expectations on us this season, and that's understandable," Detroit Manager Jim Leyland said. "There should be expectations on a team with this much talent. Everyone waited all winter for spring to get here and see this team, and they were rightfully disappointed with the way we started."

The Tigers were 4-10 through Tuesday ? somewhat understandable, perhaps, considering the six players on their disabled list include star outfielder Curtis Granderson and bullpen mainstays Fernando Rodney and Joel Zumaya.

"Granderson is one of the most important parts of their lineup," Indians first baseman Ryan Garko said. "It's really too early, though, to start jumping to conclusions about either team."


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