Beanpot Posted April 5, 2009 Report Share Posted April 5, 2009 Only 20-some hours until the games begin! Here are a few looks at the season from various outlets: Dry heat can't take blame for everything As Major League Baseball prepares to open season tonight, Indians need to size up their pitching By Patrick McManamon Beacon Journal sports columnist POSTED: 11:44 a.m. EDT, Apr 05, 2009 Folks from Arizona have this annoying habit of describing intolerable weather in the desert by saying: ''It's a dry heat.'' It might be 108 at four in the afternoon, but it's not that big a deal. Because it's a ''dry heat.'' As if searing heat is not that hot. (Next time they visit Cleveland in January, tell them it's a ''dry cold.'') This dry heat thing is as good a place as any to start with the 2009 Indians. A year ago, the Indians trained in Winter Haven, Fla., where the heat is humid. This year, they're in Goodyear, Ariz., where the heat is dry. And that dry heat apparently was a reason the team's starting pitching stumbled. See . . . the Indians have to hope something led to their starting pitchers struggling so. Because the team's hopes for 2009 depend on the rotation. The Indians will hit. They have capable bats up and down the lineup — and the best news about the spring was that Travis Hafner homered twice in the spring's final week. The Indians also have a bullpen. Kerry Wood will close, and Rafael Perez remains one of the top left-handed setup men in baseball. Add Joe Smith and Jensen Lewis and Rafael Betancourt, and the Indians have as capable a bullpen as there is in baseball (as opposed, of course, to walleyball). Struggles in bullpen The Indians like the bullpen — as much as they can. Because the team's downfall in two of the past three years has been the bullpen's struggles. ''It's obviously a tenuous area,'' General Manager Mark Shapiro said. ''So you never feel that good about it.'' This is an odd-numbered year, though, so odds are the bullpen should be strong. But the Indians have this small issue, and that is they have to get to the bullpen. Which means the starters will have to pitch five or six innings. And nobody really knows how that will go. Because the only consistent and impressive starter through all of camp was Fausto Carmona. By year's end, if all is right, Carmona will be the Indians' No. 1 starter. Cliff Lee is coming off a Cy Young season, but to expect another 22-3 record is not realistic. Lee had one off-the-charts bad year in 2007, then an off-the-charts good one in 2008. Expectations for him probably should revolve around the 14 to 18 wins he produced before 2007. Carmona in No. 1 role Which means Carmona has to step into the No. 1 role. This had to be the Indians' vision when they signed him to a contract extension early last season. The writing on the wall that CC Sabathia would leave was clear, so the plan was to make Carmona the No. 1 and lock him up. The Indians did their part. Carmona didn't. He struggled last season. His return to 2007 form is vital; his spring is encouraging. But the rest of the starters best hope that ''dry heat'' thing was real for them — even though it wasn't for Carmona. Because some of the Indians' starters were not, shall we say, stellar. Lee left spring training with a 12.46 ERA. Scott Lewis ''earned'' the fifth starter's spot with an 8.59 ERA. Third starter Carl Pavano is at 5.70 — and he lowered it late in the spring. Lee's numbers are a bit perplexing. Some of his starts fell into the ''working on something'' category, which can be legitimate, even though it always seems like a guy is ''working on something'' when he gets shelled. ''The guy's a reigning Cy Young winner,'' Shapiro said. ''For me to panic over any spring training performances would not be justifiable. ''I would say he's going to have another great year, until I see otherwise.'' Pavano and Anthony Reyes both are question marks because of health issues. Lewis is inexperienced. Shapiro said the Indians might have to patch together a rotation as the year goes on, which isn't ideal but has been done. Unless . . . the dry heat truly was a factor. Lewis and manager Eric Wedge both said that pitchers have trouble gripping and spinning the ball in Arizona. And there actually are numbers to support this contention. Number say it all Late in spring, the 10 best individual spring ERAs came from pitchers throwing in Florida. The worst 11 team ERAs were from Arizona teams, and 16 of the best 19 were from Florida teams. All pitchers in Arizona had a 5.75 ERA, an almost staggeringly high number. Those pitching in Florida had a 4.43 ERA. Percentage-wise, the increase from Florida to Arizona is 30 percent. It doesn't fully explain Lee's spring, but 30 is a lot of percent. And it seems as good a thing as any on which to hang the baseball cap when looking at the Indians pitchers. Because if they struggle in the regular season like they did in Arizona, the Indians will be a 76-win team. Which is not pretty. But if they find a way to grip the ball — even in the dry cold of Cleveland early in the season — they will be more successful. And if the starting pitching comes through, there's no reason not to believe the Indians can win the 90 or 92 games that Shapiro believes will be enough to win the division. It's all about the starting pitching for the Indians this 2009 season. The hope is that when it all ends, the players and team will be able to look back and say that in the spring, it was all about the ''dry heat.'' And maybe even laugh about it. http://www.ohio.com/sports/indians/42496062.html ----------------------------- Pieces of puzzle present If Wedge can fit them together, odds are Tribe could win Central Division By Sheldon Ocker Beacon Journal sports writer Published on Sunday, Apr 05, 2009 Alot of things don't matter in spring training. But you can never be sure which ones. In his final two Arizona starts, Scott Lewis gave up six home runs in 62/3 innings; Carl Pavano allowed one earned run in 62/3 innings in his last outing, and Cliff Lee compiled a 12.42 ERA in five starts. (Did he hurt his back lugging around the 2008 Cy Young Award?) A month from now, when the Indians begin putting the fear into their American League Central Division rivals, nobody will care or remember what these pitchers did in meaningless exhibition games. If they put the fear into their division lodge brothers, maybe the performances that seemed so ephemeral in training camp will take on special meaning during the regular season. It's not always easy to separate reality from fantasy. All winter and into the spring, General Manager Mark Shapiro talked about the rotation being the most fragile piece of the puzzle. Manager Eric Wedge would occasionally deliver a throwaway line to the media — making adjustments going forward, were his words — indicating uncertainty about his starters. If only CC Sabathia were still around. Think of it: a rotation of Sabathia, Lee, Fausto Carmona, Anthony Reyes and Scott Lewis. Shapiro never would have signed Pavano had Sabathia still been on the roster. Of course, Sabathia is long gone. The $161 million that he will be paid by the New York Yankees in the next seven years is twice as much as the Tribe will spend on salaries in 2009. So it was back to the drawing board for Shapiro. Like most GMs, before Shapiro charts out any moves on his drawing board, he sketches in a hand with two fingers crossed. In case the point isn't clear, if the Indians have a fatal weakness at the outset of the season, it is the insecurity created by a rotation with lots of question marks. Pavano has made 26 starts the past four years, having been in and out of training rooms and hospital recovery rooms. Reyes has had periodic problems keeping his right elbow from hurting. Lewis has a total of four major-league starts on his resume, hardly a track record on which Wedge and Shapiro can rely. Even Carmona, a pitcher who should register his sinker as a lethal weapon, became a mediocre performer last year after winning 19 games the previous season. Then there is Lee, whose spectacular 22-3 record in 2008 was such an anomaly that the assumption is he can't possibly pitch as effectively this season. In other words, the only thing that Shapiro and Wedge know for sure (or as sure as anything can be in baseball) is that the ace of the staff will take an inevitable step backward. Yet this team is regarded as a prime contender for a division championship. That is partly because of Lee and Carmona, Grady Sizemore and Victor Martinez, Asdrubal Cabrera and Jhonny Peralta. Yes, Jhonny Peralta, who is more highly regarded outside of Northeast Ohio than he is by the hometown fans. Even the rotation has a couple of silver linings. Pavano might get through the season without so much as a twinge in his big toe. It has been reported that Reyes is as strong as a horse and might stay that way. And just because Lewis has almost no major-league experience doesn't mean he can't pitch. Carmona is still learning to be a big-league winner. Superior talent is almost never enough. It takes four or five years for most starters to overcome all the obstacles they will encounter and learn all of the coping mechanisms needed to remain sound of mind. Just think back to Sabathia's development, which took longer than most observers predicted. Moreover, maybe Lee will defy the odds. He probably won't go 22-3. How about 20-6? Would that be such a tragedy? Undoubtedly, Shapiro and Wedge would find a way to live with that. They also have planned ahead. They know very well the unlikelihood of going through a season with only five starters. Aaron Laffey, Jeremy Sowers and phenom David Huff will be laboring in the minors (and competing with one another, which never hurts), waiting for a chance to earn their stripes in the big leagues. Sowers and Laffey have had a measure of success with the Indians, also their share of failure, but keep in mind that they, too, are still feeling their way. It is not a stretch to believe one of these three starters can deliver wins at the big-league level. Moreover, sometime around midseason, Jake Westbrook will be fully recovered from elbow reconstruction surgery and regain his proper place in the rotation. A cautionary note should be issued here. Just because Westbrook is healthy, he probably will need two or three months to sharpen his skills after a year off. Then again, some pitchers are quicker than others in remembering how to pitch. The Indians are hoping that is true for members of the bullpen, which appears to be solid. That assumes that new closer Kerry Wood remains pain free, and it would help if Rafael Betancourt demonstrates the excellence he showed in 2007, before dropping off the face of the earth last year. Jensen Lewis and Rafael Perez are the other two back-end stalwarts whose upside far outweighs any perceived deficiencies. The other newcomer to the group is sidearming Joe Smith, who was death to right-handed batters in spring training. He thinks that he can get lefties out, too, and Wedge is anxious to find out. Shapiro and Wedge have expressed nothing but optimism about the offense, even if Travis Hafner fails to make a large contribution in the runs-produced department. Sizemore, Martinez, Peralta, Shin-Soo Choo and new third baseman Mark DeRosa are the most obvious reasons to feel good about the attack. As for Hafner, toward the end of the exhibition season, he finally coaxed two balls over the fence. Was that a measure of his progress or merely fortuitous meetings of ball and bat? Hafner looks to be fully recovered from shoulder surgery, but it might take him time to become the discriminating hitter he once was. That is, he has yet to demonstrate the discipline that was his trademark. The AL Central Division is such a jumble of evenly matched teams with major uncertainties, almost any club can win. That includes the Indians. If they can eke out 89 wins or so, they can prevail. I say the odds are in their favor. http://www.ohio.com/news/top_stories/42488362.html -------------------------- A closer look at the Indians Sunday, April 5, 2009 3:19 AM Offense If Victor Martinez and Travis Hafner can regain their old form, they will make a deep lineup dangerous -- and could be the deciding factors in the American League Central race. Martinez's dramatic loss of power last season can be traced to an elbow injury that has since been repaired. He declared himself fit this spring and is a safe bet to again be a productive middle-of-the-lineup hitter. Hafner's decline is not as easy to track, first showing up in 2007 during the team's run to the AL championship series and becoming more pronounced last season, when he was admittedly nagged by a sore right shoulder that required surgery. As he regains strength in the shoulder, Hafner must work on rebuilding his swing. In Hafner and Martinez's absence last season, Grady Sizemore and Jhonny Peralta carried the offense, with significant contributions from Kelly Shoppach, Shin-Soo Choo, Ben Francisco and Ryan Garko. Their development -- and Sizemore's continued excellence -- portend good things for the Indians in 2009. Defense Despite trading away one of the best defensive outfielders in the game in Franklin Gutierrez, the Indians remain a strong defensive club, which is particularly important considering the lack of strikeout ability in their starting rotation. Sizemore is a two-time Gold Glove winner in center field, Asdrubal Cabrera has a shortstop's skills at second base, and Peralta is a capable shortstop whose reputation has suffered because he had the misfortune of following Omar Vizquel. The Indians' other asset is flexibility. Cabrera can play both middle infield positions; Mark DeRosa can play the infield or outfield; Martinez can catch or play first base, with a strong alternative at both spots; and Ben Francisco can play all three outfield positions. Rotation The rotation was the backbone of the team's resurgence in recent years, but there are questions at every spot entering this season: Was Cliff Lee's stunning success in 2008 a mirage or a sign of newfound maturity? Can Fausto Carmona regain command of his wicked sinker and again be a top-of-the-rotation pitcher? Can Carl Pavano and Anthony Reyes stay healthy? Will anyone emerge from the pack of young, soft-tossing left-handers to become a stable big-league starter? Scott Lewis, Aaron Laffey, Jeremy Sowers, David Huff and Zach Jackson might not have Lee's potential, but at least they give the Indians options at the back of the rotation. Lewis gets the first shot, while the others wait in Columbus. Bullpen The bullpen has been a study in extremes in recent years: It has either been among the best and deepest in the league or among the worst. The 2009 version looks promising, for what that is worth on April 5. Kerry Wood has the strikeout ability and All-Star pedigree to be the dominant closer the Indians have lacked since Jose Mesa. He will be surrounded by a bullpen full of pitchers who have succeeded in lesser roles, led by Rafael Perez and Jensen Lewis. Of course, it only takes one injury to throw the entire bullpen out of whack. Management Larry and Paul Dolan took much criticism in Cleveland when they lowered payroll in 2002, thus breaking up what had been a perennial contender. But in many ways, the Dolans are the ideal middle-market owners: They have set a budget, hired talented people, then stood back and let those people work. That approach permeates the organization, from general manager Mark Shapiro and the front office to manager Eric Wedge, the field staff and the minor-league operations. They study trends and are willing to consider unconventional ideas while remaining conscious of their long-term health. http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/conte...64.html?sid=101 ------------------------- Indians seek bounce-back season (Lima News (OH) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Apr. 5 --CLEVELAND -- The C.C. Sabathia era is over. The big left-hander is now wearing the Yankee pinstripes. But even without Sabathia, there are plenty of reasons for optimism on Lake Erie. The key to the Indians' fortunes will be the bounce-back ability of right-hander Fausto Carmona, designated hitter Travis Hafner and catcher Victor Martinez. All were limited because of injuries last year. With their return, the Indians should be much improved over the 81-81 season of a year ago. Catching It almost seemed automatic to pencil in switch-hitting Victor Martinez for his .300 average and 20 home runs. But Martinez suffered a hamstring injury on Opening Day. Then came a right elbow injury, which needed surgery in June and robbed him of his power. He hit only .278 with two home runs and 35 RBIs. He was limited to 266 at-bats. While he'll see time at first base, he did throw out 31 percent of the runners who attempted to steal. Expected to see plenty of time behind the plate is Kelly Shoppach, who hit .261 with 21 home runs and 55 RBIs. CATCHING GRADE: A- First base Ryan Garko batted .273 with 90 RBIs. His home runs dropped from 21 in 2007 to 14 last year. He did hit .319 after the All-Star break. Garko also hit .315 with runners in scoring position. Martinez will see plenty of time here when Shoppach is behind the plate. FIRST BASE GRADE: B Second base Asdrubal Cabrera became the everyday second baseman last year and hit .259. That was a dip from the .283 he hit in 2007 when he was promoted for 159 at-bats. The switch-hitter doesn't have a lot of power and had only six home runs and 47 RBIs. Cabrera started slow, but hit .320 after the All-Star break. He has good range and a strong arm and made eight total errors last year. SECOND BASE GRADE: B Shortstop Jhonny Peralta hit better than .270 (.276) and had at least 20 home runs (23) for the second straight year. He also drove in 89 runs. Peralta loves to jump on fastballs and has power both to rightcenter and left-center field. He hit .285 with 16 home runs against right-handers. Peralta has a strong arm, but lacks range. He had 14 errors and a fielding percentage of .979. SHORTSTOP GRADE: B Third base Mark DeRosa was acquired in a trade for the Cubs and takes over at third. Last year with the Cubs, DeRosa hit .285 with 21 home runs and 87 RBIs. He was the model of consistency, hitting .283 with 11 homers in the first half and .288 with 10 homers in the second half. A clutch performer, DeRosa hit .322 with runners in scoring position and .368 with the bases loaded. An above-average fielder, he had a .977 fielding percentage playing five positions. THIRD BASE GRADE: B+ Designated hitter Travis Hafner was a physical wreck last year. He was shut down on the disabled list for three months with a right shoulder injury before returning in September. He underwent surgery on the shoulder on Oct. 14. He hit only .197 with five home runs in 198 at-bats. In 2007, he dipped to .266 with 24 home runs. Hafner needs to prove he can still be a strong presence in the middle of the order. DH GRADE: C Outfield Center fielder Grady Sizemore has become of the game's elite stars. He became only the 10th American League player (14th alltime) to hit 30 home runs (33) and steal 30 bases (38) last year. He hit .268 with 101 runs and 170 hits. Sizemore can track down nearly every fly in the gaps and won his second straight Gold Glove Award. Left fielder Ben Francisco likes to pull fastballs and hit .266 with 15 home runs and 54 RBIs. He hit .292 at home, but only .215 with runners in scoring position. He has a strong arm and had 12 outfield assists last year. In right field will be Shin-Soo Choo, a pesky line-drive hitter who hit .309 with 14 home runs and 66 RBIs. He hit .343 after the All-Star break and .386 with runners in scoring position. OUTFIELD GRADE: B+ Starters Left-hander Cliff Lee went from the No. 5 spot to Cy Young Award winner last year. He led the league in wins (22-3) and ERA (2.54). He was the Indians' first 20-game winner since Gaylord Perry in 1974. Lee owns four quality pitches, including a 92 mph fastball and tight breaking ball. He was 12-2 with a 2.31 ERA before the break and 10-1 with a 2.83 after it. Right-hander Fausto Carmona went from his 19-win, 3.06 ERA in 2007 to going 8-7 with a 5.44 last year. He was sidelined for two months with a strained left hip last year. He's expected to be completely healthy and should be able to feature his 94 mph fastball and powerful sinker. In the No. 3 slot is right-hander Carl Pavano, who went 4-2 with a 5.77 ERA in only seven starts with the Yankees last year. Pavano missed the bulk of the season after undergoing reconstructive surgery on his right elbow. He returned on Aug. 23. Right-hander Anthony Reyes, who has a 92 mph fastball, won the No. 4 job this spring. He came to the Indians from St. Louis in July and went 2-1 with a 1.83 in six starts with Cleveland. Overall, he went 4-2 with a 2.76 in 49 innings. Ohio State product left-hander Scott Lewis doesn't light up the radar gun at 86 mph, but was 4-0 with a 2.63 in four starts last year. He took the No. 5 job this spring from left-hander Aaron Laffey and lefty Jeremy Sowers. Right-hander Jake Westbrook (1-2, 3.12 ERA) had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow and is expected to return in July. STARTERS GRADE: B- Bullpen The Indians have gone from last year's Opening Day closer, the always shaky Joe Borowski, to Kerry Wood. In 66 innings with the Cubs last year, Wood had a 3.26 ERA and 34 saves. Wood's appearances need to be monitored, but he was healthy and throwing 95 mph last year. Another key pickup for the bullpen was getting Joe Smith in a trade with the Mets. The former Wright State right-hander from outside Cincinnati had a 3.55 ERA last year. The set-up crew includes Jensen Lewis (3.82 ERA, 13 saves), Rafael Betancourt (5.07), Rafael Perez (3.54) and Masa Kobayashi (4.53) BULLPEN GRADE: A- TEAM OVERALL GRADE: B http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2009/04/05/4107081.htm Beanpot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beanpot Posted April 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2009 Indians will shine in 2009 By AARON DORKSEN Daily Record Sports Editor A few thoughts from the week in sports ... About the only thing trickier than predicting what will happen in the financial market in recent years is making Major League Baseball picks. The Tampa Bay Rays in the 2008 World Series? If someone had made that prognostication at this time last year they'd have been referred to the nearest mental health clinic. Yet, Tampa went from 96 losses in 2007 to 97 wins last season. The Phillies bounced the Rays 4-1 in the World Series, but it was still refreshing to see an underdog emerge in a league where teams like the Yankees, Red Sox and Mets try to buy championships with payrolls seemingly the size of small countries. One of the teams many were looking at as an AL Pennant contender last year was our own Cleveland Indians. They won 96 games in 2007 and made it to the ALCS, where they nearly beat the Red Sox. The Tribe got off to an awful start, though, a victim of inconsistent play and then injuries. They wound up unloading high-priced veterans such as CC Sabathia, Casey Blake and Paul Byrd. The a strange thing happened: The Indians finished strong with a 40-28 record after the All-Star break to wind up dead even at 81-81. Making the Indians' second-half turnaround even more perplexing was that they did it mostly with big-money players Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez sidelined due to injuries. Just when fans were ready to write the Indians off and tell GM Mark Shapiro to go back to the drawing board, last year's finish makes this season even more hard to predict. Were the 2008 second-half Indians fool's gold, or a gold mine waiting to be discovered? Call it the hometown bias in me, but I say the Indians will shine and all the pieces will pan out nicely. The way they have in previous odd-numbered years. The AL Central is wide open and the Indians have just as good a chance as anyone to win it. Once a team gets in the playoffs, anything can happen. BIGGEST STRENGTHS -- The things I like most about the Indians are their everyday lineup and overall depth. With players like Grady Sizemore, Martinez and Jhonny Peralta back, along with up-and-comers such as Kelly Shoppach, Ben Francisco and Shin-Soo Choo it's easy to see why the Tribe led the AL in runs scored after the All-Star break last year. Hafner is a huge key, but if he and fellow high-priced veteran David Dellucci fail to hit again they need to be benched. The Tribe will dig itself in a hole it can't escape if it lets Hafner strand a small village of runners on the bases again this April and May. If Hafner's slide continues, look for rookie Matt LaPorta (acquired in the Sabathia trade) to get the call up. I think Mark DeRosa could be a nice pickup in the infield as well, but this will be a make-or-break year at the plate for Ryan Garko and Asdrubal Cabrera. Defensively, the Tribe's above average with Sizemore in centerfield and Cabrera at second about as good as it gets. Shapiro has stated he thinks the Tribe's young talent is as good as it has been since the 1990s. BIGGEST WEAKNESS -- The Indians' pitching staff looks like a house of cards to me. It's standing up nicely coming out of spring training, but it could tumble down in a hurry if oft-injured, offseason pickups Kerry Wood and Carl Pavano struggle. Fausto Carmona has to be more like the 17-game winner he was in 2007 than the 8-7 mark he posted last year. Wood could be the Tribe's best closer since Jose Mesa in the 1990s and if he's on will turn many of the games Joe Borowski blew last year into wins. THE PREDICTION -- I see the glass half full when it comes to the Cleveland Indians in 2009. I'm picking them to win a wide-open AL Central with a 90-72 mark, with Sizemore leading the way as AL MVP. The Tribe will advance to the World Series, but, we'll learn it's still Cleveland and they'll fall to the Mets http://www.the-daily-record.com/news/article/4560507 Beanpot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beanpot Posted April 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2009 Not a prediction article, but a nice story about Bob Stanley at Muni: Start of baseball season always special By Mike Zhe mzhe@seacoastonline.com April 05, 2009 6:00 AM The opening day Bob Stanley best remembers was his first one. It was the 1977 home opener for the Cleveland Indians, and a crowd of 51,165 filled cavernous, old Municipal Stadium to cheer against the Red Sox. Nerves? A few. Luis Tiant had the ball that day and pitched five strong innings, leaving with a 3-1 lead. Stanley took over in the top of the sixth, a 22-year-old making his big-league debut in front of as many people as he'd see all season. These days, the 54-year-old Stanley is a coach-in-residence at USA Training Centers in Newington, trading in the minor-league buses for a short, daily commute. He makes his home in Stratham. But opening day still means something, and he can vividly recall the conversation he had 32 years ago in a packed Municipal Stadium with his catcher, Sox star and New Hampshire native Carlton Fisk. "Fisk came up to me before I threw a pitch and said, 'Kid, calm down,'" said Stanley, who'd pitch the final four innings to earn a save. "Tomorrow night there's only going to be 1,500 here.'" http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/200...PORTS-904050358 Beanpot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldcrow1945 Posted April 5, 2009 Report Share Posted April 5, 2009 I'm aways complaining that i don't get enough Tribe material to read coming out of Spring training....Thanks Bean! One of the things that was mentioned in the first article was the Tribe's bats.....Sometimes people don't realize this...Last year the Tribe finished 7th or 8th in scoring in the major leagues. And they did this without the likes of Travis Hafner and without Martinez for a lot of the year. If Travis comes back and everyone stays healthy, this should be one of the top scoring teams in the league. Pretty exciting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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