Indians Tidbits (2008 season)

[osugrad21]

CPD

Cleveland Indians General Manager Mark Shapiro concerned, but not panicked


Friday, April 18, 2008Joe Maxse
Plain Dealer Reporter
Fifteen games does not a season make. But at 5-10 entering Thursday, it makes for more than a periphery glance.
After losing six of their past seven, outscored, 49 to 24, in the six losses, the Indians are not about to reach for the panic button. But as General Manager Mark Shapiro said before Thursday night's game against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field, the time for a hard look is definitely approaching.
"After 15 games, it necessitates concern, not action, from a front-office standpoint," Shapiro said. "We hope it's a glitch. There's not enough there to address yet."
Of concern is the fact certain players counted on to pick up where they left off a year ago have not come near that expectation. Third baseman Casey Blake [hitting .146], second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera [.173], right fielder Franklin Gutierrez [.182] and platooning left-fielder Jason Michaels [.091] have struggled, to say the least.
Those numbers were part of the reason the Indians were last in the American League in hitting [.232] and slugging percentage [.340] entering Thursday.
"We've been the polar opposite of a year ago when we were able to control the baseball," Shapiro said. "Pitchers threw strikes and kept the ball in the ballpark. Hitters controlled the strike zone and had tough, quality at-bats from top to bottom in the lineup.




Cont...

[osugrad21]

CPD

Cleveland Indians should look for help for left-field platoon, bullpen, Terry Pluto says


Friday, April 18, 2008
Before the Indians beat Detroit, 11-1, on Thursday night, Mark Shapiro mentioned his team had "four dead spots" in the lineup.
The general manager's point was the season being only 16 games old and with so many things going bad, it's too soon to make moves from what would seem like a panic position.
In the Tribe talk that you hear from this and other modern front offices, the "sample" is too small. Sixteen games is only 10 percent of the season.
The general manager is right, you can't fix four flat tires that have brought the offense to a halt.
But why not start with one?
On the night when Jason Michaels busted free from his 4-of-33 start with two singles, three RBI and throwing out a runner at home plate from left field, I still don't buy into the left-field platoon.
Yes, Dave Dellucci has come back from a major hamstring injury that required surgery to have a solid start. He's batting .276 on a team that entered Thursday night hitting an American League-low .232. Dellucci's .432 on-base percentage is second on the team.




Cont...

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

si.com

What's wrong with C.C. Sabathia?

The way things are going for Indians left hander C.C. Sabathia, the C.C. is going to stand for Cheaper Cost.
Not cheap cost, mind you. But cheaper, anyway.
Some players react well to their walk year, some do not. So far Sabathia, a free-agent-to-be who turned down about $70 million over four years from Cleveland this past winter, is bombing in his walk year like few have before.
Despite his atrocious beginning, he'll almost surely beat that payday as a free agent this winter. But still, he's costing himself millions by the pitch.
So far Sabathia, the 2007 American League Cy Young winner, is easily the worst starting pitcher in baseball. Out of the 103 starting pitchers who qualify, his 13.50 ERA ranks him exactly No. 103. Sabathia's stats are remarkable for their horror. In 18 innings he has allowed 32 hits, 27 runs (all earned) and walked 14. Not surprisingly, he's 0-3.
C.C. could stand for Complete Choke.

Continued.....

[LitlBuck]

In spring training, I wrote that the Indians should try to trade one of the veterans - even if they have to pay most of the contract to convince another team to take a player such as Michaels ($2.1 million). That may be the only way to make it happen

Terry Pluto has got to be joking when he thinks the Indians are going to absorb some of Michaels' salary in order to trade him. They would rather loose 100 games than to absorb salary for someone not on the roster.

[LitlBuck]

Originally Posted by billmac91

these announcers are idiots...Fausto didn't try and hit the leadoff batter, and he didn't try and hit Sheffield.

I don't know how a former MLB player can't see that?

He didn't throw a curve ball into the ground to try and hit the batter......he certainly didn't concede 1st and second, no outs to plant one on Sheffield.

Plus Victor came out to calm him down. Yet these clowns keep talking about his intent. It's frustrating.

I will agree that I did Not think Carmona hit the leadoff batter on purpose with a breaking curveball but I do believe that he hit Sheffield on purpose because Sheffield is the Tigers' big bat and I think Carmona was sending a message. You have to remember that Carmona is not the sharpest guy of the team (see Wedge) and he is very young. I just think that he did not give much thought to it with a 10-1 lead but you are correct it might have come back to haunt him if Michaels had not thrown out that runner at the plate the way our bullpen has been going.

[billmac91]

Originally Posted by LitlBuck

I will agree that I did that think Carmona hit the leadoff batter on purpose with a breaking curveball but I do believe that he hit Sheffield on purpose because Sheffield is the Tigers' big bat and I think Carmona was sending a message. You have to remember that Carmona is not the sharpest guy of the team (see Wedge) and he is very young. I just think that he did not give much thought to it with a 10-1 lead but you are correct it might have come back to haunt him if Michaels had not thrown out that runner at the plate the way our bullpen has been going.

I disagree. Victor immediately came out to calm him down. Fausto absolutely WAS NOT trying to hit the lead-off batter. MLB pitchers don't throw curveballs in the dirt as message pitches.

I certainly don't believe Fausto then decided to plunk Sheffield to make it first and second, no outs. The fastball was in an area you'd expect a message pitch to hit, but from his and Victor's reaction I don't think it was intentional.

[LitlBuck]

Originally Posted by billmac91

I disagree. Victor immediately came out to calm him down. Fausto absolutely WAS NOT trying to hit the lead-off batter. MLB pitchers don't throw curveballs in the dirt as message pitches.

I certainly don't believe Fausto then decided to plunk Sheffield to make it first and second, no outs. The fastball was in an area you'd expect a message pitch to hit, but from his and Victor's reaction I don't think it was intentional.

Sorry typo... please see the edit to my post. I meant to agree with you regarding the first batter.

[billmac91]

thing is, it was only 5-0 at that point....putting runners on first and second, no outs in the fifth is asking for trouble. I still believe it was 2 poor pitches.

On top of that, Leyland was [censored]ed in the dugout, but if he thought Carmona lit up 2 guys on purpose, I'm pretty confident he's the type of guy to send his worst bullpen pitcher in there to start a brawl.

[NFBuck]

Good to see some life finally. Hopefully the light has now gone "on".

BTW, .340 team SLG coming into the game? Holy [censored].

[exhawg]

Cliff Lee = ace (so far)

[NFBuck]

Originally Posted by exhawg

Cliff Lee = ace (so far)

Shocking, isn't it? He's always had the stuff, just needs to keep his head screwed on straight...

[NFBuck]

Lee and Perez combine on a 3 hit shutout.

Cliff's ERA on the season = 0.40

Great to get a couple wins in a row...now if C.C. will just wake up from his slumber...

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Another strong start by Lee fuels Indians

Saturday, April 19, 2008 2:53 AM
By Paul Hoynes


The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer
PAUL BATTAGLIA Associated Press
The Indians' Grady Sizemore makes a sliding catch in the third inning of a fly ball to short center by the Twins' Carlos Gomez.



MINNEAPOLIS -- Two left-handers took the mound with much to prove last night in the Metrodome. Cliff Lee out-proved and out-pitched Francisco Liriano.
Lee continued to distance himself from a nightmarish 2007 season that began with a strained abdominal muscle in spring training and ended with him playing the role of cheerleader as the Indians went to the seventh game of the American League championship series.
He won his third straight game in as many starts, striking out eight and allowing two hits over eight innings in the Indians' 4-0 victory over the Twins.

Continued......

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

Cliff Lee hurls a gem to lead Indians to win
Saturday, April 19, 2008
BY Andy Call
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

SOLID OUTING Indians starting pitcher Cliff Lee delivers against the Twins in the first inning of Friday's game at Minneapolis. Lee gave up just two hits over eight innings in the Tribe's 4-0 win.
AP PAUL BATTAGLIA

MINNEAPOLIS Maybe pitching isn't that complicated of a science after all.

Cliff Lee threw 109 pitches Friday night, nearly all of them fastballs. His game plan certainly didn't seem that simplistic to Minnesota's hitters, however. He threw high fastballs as well as low. He threw fastballs on the inner half of the plate, as well as the outer half. He threw them to the exact spot where the batter was guessing it wouldn't go.

Casey Blake watched from third base as Lee shut out the Twins for eight innings during a 4-0 Cleveland victory at the Metrodome.

Continued......

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

'Pronk' gets night off
Saturday, April 19, 2008
BY Andy Call
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

MINNEAPOLIS Friday may just have been a day off for Travis Hafner. It may also have been a sign of concerns to come.

Cleveland's designated hitter was left out of the starting lineup for the Indians' game against Minnesota due to what Manager Eric Wedge said was a sore right shoulder.

"He's had it off-and-on since spring training," Wedge said. "The last couple days, it's bothered him more. Hopefully it'll be a day-to-day thing. I don't think it's anything to be concerned about."

Continued.....