Cleveland Sports Chatter

[POJO_Risin]

Saturday night drives
Millwood gets healthy amount of support: 11 extra-base hits
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Paul Hoynes
Plain Dealer Reporter
Kansas City, Mo.

-- Kevin Millwood has been the glitch in the Indians offense. When he pitches, the hitters call in sick.

It took Millwood until his second-to-last start of the regular season to find an antidote. Saturday night, Millwood was sick, and the Tribe's hitters were the picture of health.

Millwood, fighting the flu, pitched only six innings, but the offense pounded Kansas City's pitchers for a season-high 11 extra-base hits in an 11-4 victory at Kauffman Stadium.

The Indians, winners of 17 of their past 19 games, stayed atop the American League wild-card standings by 1½ games with seven to play. Boston and New York are 1½ games back.

Millwood, victimized by some of the lowest run support in the big leagues through his first 28 starts, was told he should have gotten sick a lot sooner than this.

"I don't think so," he said. "The way our hitters are going right now, any team we face is going to have a hard time holding them down."

Millwood (9-11, 2.92 ERA) could be the first pitcher to lead the AL in ERA with a losing record since the Indians' Mel Harder in 1933. Only four other pitchers in AL history have won the ERA title with a losing record.

"There's not much I can do about my record," said Millwood. "You need help with that, and for a while, I wasn't getting much. It would still be exciting to lead the league in ERA for the first time in my career."

Millwood said he started to feel ill Friday. He felt better Saturday but became ill again while warming up.

[POJO_Risin]

Saturday night drives
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The Indians stayed 1½ games behind first-place Chicago in the AL Central.

"I think we have as good a chance, if not better, than anybody at making the postseason," said Millwood. "We're right where we need to be. We've got a 1½-game lead in the wild card and are 1½ games back in the division.

"If one doesn't work out, the other one is waiting for us."

Jhonny Peralta, Ronnie Belliard, Grady Sizemore and Coco Crisp homered Saturday. The Indians have hit 46 homers in September.

The one Indians player who didn't homer was Travis Hafner. It ended his consecutive-game-homer streak at six.

Peralta fell a triple short of the cycle. His 23 homers tie him with Woodie Held for the franchise record for shortstops.

"One more and the record is mine," said Peralta.

The Indians added seven doubles Saturday. Ben Broussard hit three straight and drove in four runs as the Indians beat Kansas City for the 10th straight time this season.

Peralta gave Millwood a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer in the first. The homer tied the record Held set in 1961.

Aaron Guiel made it 2-1 with a leadoff homer against Millwood in the bottom of the first. It was the last run Millwood allowed.

[POJO_Risin]

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When he left after six, the Indians led, 5-1. Millwood threw 76 pitches, allowing seven hits with one strikeout.

The Indians offense took its time drawing a bead on Mike Wood (5-8, 4.14).

Belliard started the fourth with his 15th homer for a 3-1 lead. The Indians stretched the lead to 5-1 in the sixth.

Broussard opened with the first of his three straight doubles. He went to third on Aaron Boone's sacrifice and scored on Casey Blake's sacrifice fly.

Sizemore followed with his 22nd homer, a drive into the Royals bullpen behind the right-field fence.

The Tribe's hitters found their stride when Royals manager Buddy Bell went to the bullpen in the sixth. After Victor Martinez's leadoff double against Chris Demaria, Broussard doubled to left-center for a 6-1 lead. Broussard, trying for a triple, was cut down for the second out.

The Indians put the game away with five runs in the eighth. After Sizemore, hitting .419 (13-for-31) on the trip, opened with a single. Crisp delivered him with his 16th homer.

Demaria finally brought Bell out of the dugout with consecutive walks to Hafner and Martinez to load the bases. Leo Nunez relieved only to have Broussard unload the bases with his third straight double.

"Benny has been inconsistent this year, but he's capable of big games like this," said manager Eric Wedge.

The Tribe's bullpen hit a wild patch in the eighth.

Scott Sauerbeck walked four of the six batters he faced. He forced home a run with a bases-loaded walk to Donnie Murphy. David Riske relieved with two out and gave up a two-run single to right by John Buck.

"It was good to see Scotty knock some of the rust off," said Wedge. "I wanted to give him some time out there."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

phoynes@plaind.com, 216-999-5754

[POJO_Risin]

DANGEROUS MITT DUTY
Catchers handle much more than fastballs
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Brian Sumers
Plain Dealer Reporter
Sit in the stands at a major-league park, and you'll hear the pop sound of a pitched ball hitting a catcher's mitt.

For fans, that pop signifies the sweet sound of summer baseball. But for the catcher, it can be hazardous duty, especially when handling flame-throwers.

"It just hurts," said Twins catcher Mike Redmond, an eight-year veteran. "Imagine catching a ball at 98 miles per hour with a quarter inch of padding. It almost feels like you're catching the balls bare-handed sometimes."

Intrigued by the plight of catchers, baseball fan turned orthopedic surgeon L. Andrew Koman studied the effect of baseballs on minor leaguers for a report published recently by the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. The results: Among 36 players studied during the 2001 season, Koman found catchers most likely to complain of swollen fingers, broken blood vessels and nerve damage.

Koman found four of the nine catchers he studied reported hand weakness. He also found most catchers had larger index fingers on their catching hands, with an average difference of two ring sizes.

While Koman says none of the injuries could be categorized as career-ending, their effects do tend to linger.

"You recognize what you do," he said. "You dig coal, you're going to wear out your joints. But you make a living."

The findings don't surprise Indians third-base coach Joel Skinner, a former major-league catcher for the White Sox, Yankees and Tribe. Eleven years after his retirement, he continues to experience numbness in his left index finger.

"I go out in cold weather and the circulation is not as good," he said. "I'm not a doctor, but there's definitely a different feeling in this finger than in the rest of my fingers."

Skinner recalls that when he played, he regained feeling in his hand each January - three months after the end of the regular season. Then in mid-February, when catchers work repeatedly with pitchers trying to make the team, he would lose it again.

[POJO_Risin]

DANGEROUS MITT DUTY
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Skinner says he tried to limit the stress on his fingers by catching the ball in the webbing of his mitt.

"There's a sweet spot on the bat, and there's a sweet spot where you catch the ball," said Jeff Datz, the Indians' first-base coach and a former minor-league catcher. "It's right in the top of the palm, not out on your fingers.

"You catch it in the wrong place, you feel it."

Even when they catch the ball in the sweet spot, catchers can experience pain. Last season, when Redmond caught Marlins fireballer A.J. Burnett, his hand could sting for 10 to 15 minutes after a painful pitch. And once, because of Burnett, Redmond suffered a nasty bone bruise on his left index finger.

Although the pain of catching can be lessened with a batting glove or extra padding, catchers are reluctant to add protection. Many catchers - the ultimate tough guys of baseball - want to feel the ball in their glove. Sometimes, though, they may add some homemade padding (sponge-like pads are popular) in spring training, when they repeatedly work with pitchers in the bullpen.

"Spring training is the worst, trying to get your hands back in baseball shape," said Joe Mauer, the Twins' starting catcher. "You get bruises on the fingers if you don't catch it right."

Mauer says he has never had trouble with circulation. But at 22, he will catch plenty more 95 mph fastballs. And luckily for Mauer, he plays home games in a dome, where he can avoid the cold weather of April and May. That's when the buzz hurts most.

Despite the small sample size, Koman says the study is likely a representation of catching injuries.

And don't worry: Young players aren't likely to face these injuries in Little League or high school.

"These guys are catching big-league pitchers, throwing the ball 80 or 90 miles per hour," Koman said: "The standard glove is pretty good for the way I throw the ball. My kids are pretty safe."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

sports@plaind.com, 216-999-4370

[POJO_Risin]

Cavaliers' James addresses, shoots down rumors
Oct. 3, 2005
CBS SportsLine.com wire reports




CLEVELAND -- LeBron James appears to have worked on his defense this summer. He's even swatting away rumors.

Like the one about him demanding a trade to New York so he can save the Knicks and light up Broadway. Or the one where he's bolting for Los Angeles to join the Lakers and sign a movie deal. And the piece of gossip about him leaving for Miami to hook up with Shaq and open a nightclub on South Beach.

Heck, he's been linked to everyone but Paris Hilton.

James, though, insists none of them is true. And on Monday, while being bombarded with questions at the Cavaliers' media day, the All-Star forward addressed his future before it was even brought up.

"For the record," James said, slamming his hand on the table. "For the record, I am not going anywhere. I keep hearing these stories about LeBron James is not happy in Cleveland. I don't understand where these keep coming from.

"I'm very happy in the Cavaliers' uniform and I'm going to be wearing this uniform for a long time, OK?"

That issue temporarily out of the way, James spent the majority of his group interview session praising Cleveland's front office for spending millions this summer on a supporting cast that should help him and the Cavaliers get to the NBA playoffs after narrowly missing them last season.

The Cavs, who collapsed down the stretch and finished 42-40 -- losing a tiebreaker for the No. 8 spot to New Jersey -- after leading the Central Division for a chunk of the season, signed free-agent guards Larry Hughes and Damon Jones, forward Donyell Marshall and re-signed center Zydrunas Ilgauskas.

"It's going to be unbelievable what this team can do," James said, cracking a smile. "It's like high school for me again. Now that I got a guy like Larry Hughes, who can break down a defense as well as I can, and a guy like Damon Jones who can shoot it from halfcourt, and a guy like Donyell Marshall, who can play the three, four or five and rebound the ball. ... It's unbelievable what our potential can be.

"There should be no excuses for us not to get to the playoffs with the guys that we've added."

While the Cavaliers were disintegrating late last season, James, who is under contract for at least three more seasons in Cleveland, showed signs of frustration as his first trip to the playoffs slipped away. He criticized teammates, and stormed off the floor in Detroit bare-chested, ripping off his jersey after a tough loss.

Ilgauskas didn't blame James for being upset.

"I knew that LeBron needed to get to the playoffs," the 7-foot-3 center said. "I wanted him to get that taste. He did everything he could and we let him down."

Ilgauskas has played with James for two seasons, long enough to appreciate the 20-year-old's competitiveness. Although they haven't spoken much about the future beyond this season, Ilgauskas is confident James will stay in Cleveland as long as it takes to win an NBA championship.

"From what I've seen, he loves being here," Ilgauskas said. "I don't know what's going to happen in the future. But all of us would like to see No. 23 hanging in the rafters, and I think we'll see that."

Before being taken away for numerous photo shoots, James said the never-ending guessing game about where he'll play has become annoying.

"It bothers me, of course," he said. "I never gave any indication of leaving Cleveland. I've been in Akron my whole life. My family loves to come see me play 41 games. It bothers me a little bit, but I'm here. I'm wearing a Cleveland Cavaliers jersey and I'm having fun.

"I can't predict the future. I don't know what's going to happen before I sign my next contract. But now my focus is on being a Cavalier."

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2004-2005, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved

[POJO_Risin]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
"I can't predict the future. I don't know what's going to happen before I sign my next contract. But now my focus is on being a Cavalier."

Sounds like famous last words to me...

[POJO_Risin]

Maybe Cleveland is looking at Kenny Lofton?

He did hit nearly .330 last year with over 20 SB's...

the lineup in that case?

Lofton-RF, Coco Crisp-LF, Grady Sizemore-CF, Travis Hafner-DH, Victor Martinez-C, Jhonny Peralta-SS, Ron Belliard-2B, Aaron Boone-3B, Casey Blake/Ben Broussard (platoon)-1B.

In case you didn't know...that would be one bad ass lineup...

fucking Peralta and Belliard batting fucking 6 and 7...hell...Boone and Blake at 8 and 9...

Still want Nomah...but wouldn't mind seeing Kenny back...

[POJO_Risin]

Indians report: Have money, seeking a match
Dec. 9, 2005
Akron Beacon Journal

Mark Shapiro flew back from the winter meetings in Dallas Thursday with his pockets still bulging with cash.

"We have some money left, clearly," the Indians' general manager said.

The question is whether there are any quality free agents available who fit the Tribe's needs. Shapiro accomplished his two most important tasks: luring Paul Byrd to Cleveland to help fill out the rotation and signing Bob Wickman for one more year as the club's closer after Trevor Hoffman elected to return to the San Diego Padres.

Having accomplished that, Shapiro's next goal is indefinite.

In outlining his priorities, the GM said, "I'm not sure there is one. We had to get a starter and a closer. After that, it gets down to the age-old equation of value. We have to go where our money will make the greatest impact."

How much money can Shapiro throw at players? It's possible he has as much as $9 million to spend, but on who?

That sum is in sharp contrast to what Shapiro has had to work with after major winter signings in the past. Presumably it is enough to make a serious bid for Nomar Garciaparra, if the career infielder decides he wants to play right field for the Indians.

But there is no assurance that Garciaparra is leaning toward coming to Cleveland, and Shapiro won't comment on individuals who might still be in play.

For the most part, the remaining inventory of free agents lacks pizzazz. Shapiro would like to locate a veteran reliever to be his setup man, uncover a right-handed batter who can drive in 90 runs and maybe add another starter. However, the pickings are slim.

"There is not a lot of quality left in the free-agent market, so there is a lot of competition," said the GM, who added that a trade was possible.

On the other hand, Shapiro discouraged the idea that he would deal away a top prospect, because what he would receive in return wouldn't likely be worth it.

While conceding that a setup man might come from relievers already on the team, Shapiro indicated that his preference is to sign or trade for a tested veteran.

"We have alternatives on the roster," he said. "But I might feel more comfortable with a veteran."

[POJO_Risin]

Indians report: Have money, seeking a match


« Back · 1 · 2



The rotation still is missing one starter. That job could go to novices Jason Davis or Jeremy Sowers, but Shapiro hasn't entirely dismissed the idea of re-signing Scott Elarton.

"I would still like to have Elarton back," Shapiro said. "But this is kind of like the Omar Vizquel situation."

In other words, the GM is reluctant to commit the dollars in a multiyear contract to Elarton, when he has young and inexpensive pitchers on the roster who have a relatively high upside.

Shapiro conceded that any thoughts of re-signing Kevin Millwood are all but moot.

"I would say the possibility of signing Millwood is remote at best," he said.

The Tribe did not lose or add a player in Thursday's Rule 5 draft. One player expected to be snatched away from the Indians was first baseman Ryan Mulhern, named winner of the organization's Minor League Player of the Year on Thursday.

Recipient of the team's Minor League Pitcher of the Year is left-hander Jeremy Sowers.

Mulhern, 25, had a breakout season, batting .321 with 17 home runs and 48 RBI in 45 games at Class-A Kinston before being promoted to the Aeros, for whom he batted .311 with 15 homers and 46 RBI in 67 games.

Sowers, 22, started the season at Kinston, posting an 8-3 record and 2.78 ERA in 13 starts. After moving up to the Aeros, he compiled a 5-1 record and 2.08 ERA in 13 starts, before finishing the year by winning his only start at Triple-A Buffalo, giving up one run in 5 2/3 innings.

For more news or to subscribe, please visit http://www.ohio.com


Copyright ��2004 Akron Beacon Journal. All Rights Reserved.

[POJO_Risin]

Cavaliers report
Dec. 8, 2005
Akron Beacon Journal

There's a good chance that some day Eric Snow will be a head coach in the NBA, and he knows what he would have done if he were the one wearing the suit and scheming to beat the Cavaliers last season.

Leave himself wide open.

That was the strategy employed, often successfully, night in and night out a year ago. For all his redeeming qualities, Snow had the worst shooting year of his career in 2004-05, and it was exploited. The opposition, double-teaming LeBron James or Zydrunas Ilgauskas, often just left Snow by himself. Snow would get the ball and not take advantage.

"I know I would've done it if I was on the other team," Snow said. "Really, it is because LeBron is so good, they try to take him away, take the ball out of his hands."

He took that to the offseason and came back a different player. Make no mistake, Snow still ranks eighth in scoring (4.2 points per game), so he's hardly a go-to guy.

Through diligent work on the practice floor, he has shown improvement at the offensive end and has started to make teams pay for neglecting him.

With a more honed jumper and some new moves going to the basket, including a somewhat surprising hook shot, Snow is shooting at the best rate in his 11-year career. After going 4-of-5 in the Cavs' 102-97 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, Snow is shooting 49 percent, up from that career-low .382 mark of last year.

Snow still is doing the other things well -- he's second in the NBA in assists per turnover (4.4) and sixth in steals per turnover (1.2) -- and his defense won him the starting point guard job after he came off the bench last season. With a better touch when he gets those open looks, he's helping loosen things up for everyone else.

He has given credit to assistant coach Melvin Hunt, who stays after practice with Snow and helps with his shooting.

"He's done a great job of getting me to work on game shots, and I think that's really helped me," Snow said. "You don't realize how many times in the game those shots come up."

Heckler blues

Oakland businessman Mark Jones is one of the most well-known hecklers in the NBA. He has been a regular in courtside seats at Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards games over the years, creating a little reputation for himself. He tried it on James on Tuesday in Sacramento, chirping at him for almost the entire game, especially about James' jumper, which was off.

"It was easy, especially because he was listening to me," Jones said as he was leaving after the game. "I told him if he made two in a row I'd pick up my seat and leave."

[POJO_Risin]

James went back-and-forth with him for much of the game, but it got more intense in the fourth quarter when James got hot and scored 11 of his 30 points to lead the Cavs to victory. After making a big 3-pointer and two tough layups, James went over to Jones one last time.

"I called him a yes man," said James, who deals with hecklers on a regular basis on the road. "He had something to say and that's OK; he walked out quiet, didn't he?"

Dribbles With his 30-point performance, James has scored at least 30 points in six of his past eight games.... Guard Larry Hughes had six assists in the win Tuesday. The Cavs are 8-1 when he has five assists or more.... The victory broke a nine-game losing streak against the Kings and was the Cavs' first in Arco Arena since 1998.... The Cavs took Wednesday off after flying back across the country and will practice today before a back-to-back set of games -- at home Friday against the New Jersey Nets and Saturday at the Milwaukee Bucks.

For more news or to subscribe, please visit http://www.ohio.com


Copyright ��2004 Akron Beacon Journal. All Rights Reserved.

[POJO_Risin]

Time has arrived for Cavaliers' Jackson
Dec. 7, 2005
Akron Beacon Journal

The time has come for Luke Jackson.

The fan-favored, floppy-haired former first-round pick from Oregon is needed by the Cavaliers for the next several weeks. Hampered by injury and inconsistency over his brief career, Jackson now can likely take control of his immediate future with some timely play.

Sasha Pavlovic, who has been splitting minutes with Jackson at backup small forward, is out for two-to-three weeks with a sprained left ankle, suffered in practice on Monday. Ira Newble, the defensive specialist who has been out since early October with right foot problems, is due back within the same time frame as Pavlovic.

The Cavs have struggled at that spot, with Jackson averaging just 2.1 points and 1.2 rebounds and Pavlovic just 1.9 and 0.7 heading into Tuesday night's game against the Kings. Cavs coach Mike Brown has alternated them in and out since the preseason, when each has stood out briefly but mostly just encouraged him to get LeBron James back into the game as soon as possible.

Jackson has been better defensively for the most part, which is why he's gotten more playing time on average than Pavlovic. But his offense has been inconsistent -- he's shooting just 32 percent -- and often he's looked tentative when he gets the ball.

"He does need to get to the point where he knows when he needs to be shooting, driving or passing the ball," Brown said. "He's going to continue to get opportunities now until I go in another direction."

Jackson is nearly 11 months off back surgery, which wiped out much of his rookie season, and is back to 100 percent. With the glut of competition at his position, he fully understands where he stands.

"I think I need to step it up," Jackson said. "I've been working hard and just trying to get comfortable and find my flow."

Stat man

Cavs General Manager Danny Ferry is close to Indians General Manager Mark Shapiro, and they both believe certain numbers can provide insight to teams and players.

In that vein, the Cavs have hired a statistical consultant to help them compile complex breakdowns of various aspects of the game.

It's not basketball Moneyball, the stats will just be a part of how the Cavs evaluate opponents, their own players and potential acquisitions.

[POJO_Risin]

Time has arrived for Cavaliers' Jackson


For example, one of the things the Cavs and most NBA teams follow closely is plus/minus stats.

It gauges how the score changes when a certain player or players are in the game. The Cavs' leader in plus/minus is Damon Jones, with whom the Cavs score an average of 10.2 points more than their opponents per 48 minutes. Donyell Marshall is second at plus-8.6.

Some other stats of note: 60 percent of the Cavs' shots are jump shots and 40 percent of the time, they shoot within the first 10 seconds of the 24-second clock.

Free and clear

The NBA has fined numerous players across the league for dress-code violations, on and off the court. Most have been for shorts that hang below the knee. Several Cavs have been warned they are in violation, but so far the league has not issued any fines to them.

College nights

Starting next Tuesday, the Cavs will offer college students discounted tickets. Students with a valid college I.D. can purchase any $35 or $25 seat for only $15. The special discount (one per student) is good after 5 p.m. on game days at Quicken Loans Arena. There are five such nights planned: Dec. 13th vs. Atlanta, Dec. 15th vs. Denver, Dec. 20 vs. Utah, Jan. 5 vs. Houston and Jan. 10 vs. New York.

For more news or to subscribe, please visit http://www.ohio.com


Copyright ��2004 Akron Beacon Journal. All Rights Reserved.

[twonabomber]

they should have some money to spend soon once this new TV deal gets announced.