Shelton reflects on first week
SAN FRANCISCO -- For Derek Shelton, his first week as Indians hitting coach is behind him, and it's been a good first week, too."We've swung the bats well, and I've gotten to see two nice ballparks," he said Sunday at SBC Park before the game with the Giants. "It's been good, because we've played well -- and we're winning. So it's been a good first week."
Looking back on manager Eric Wedge's call to Shelton to replace Eddie Murray, Shelton said he came to the job filled with excitement and some anxiousness. He said he didn't feel much nervousness, even though his task was a daunting one.
He was being asked to do what Murray wasn't able to do, which was to communicate and help the Indians improve their hitting.
Yet having that assignment and pulling it off are two different matters, and the challenge of it comes fraught with hurdles, particularly for somebody who was walking into his new job midway into the season.
Shelton said he had to remember to temper his excitement and get into the business in front of him. He didn't take long to do this, though. His first few days of reading scouting reports and talking to coaches and players got him into his routine.
Still, he can't shake the excitement. It just comes with the job.
"The excitement is there," he said. "It's gonna stay there; it's the big leagues."
Sore arm: The Indians have all but shelved using Travis Hafner in the field. His sore elbow won't allow him to throw, which means he can only DH.
Wedge called Hafner's elbow a maintenance issue that should improve with time.
Here's the question: Cleveland opened League Park on April 10, 1910. Who did the team play in that first game? (See answer below.)
Quotable: "The youngsters coming up now just go through the motions necessary to make the play. They should bounce around a little, show some life and zip. It adds a little action and gives the fans something to look at rather than the monotonous routine, no matter how perfectly the play is made." -- Hall of Famer Al Lopez, former Indians manager
Did you know: Despite rumors to the contrary, no ball ever landed in the center-field bleachers at Municipal Stadium. Mickey Mantle, Frank Howard and Rocky Colavito all hit balls that bounced near the bleacher wall, some 465 feet away from home plate.
This and that: Wedge reported that Kevin Millwood felt fine Sunday a day after he threw a simulated game here. Millwood should start Thursday at The Jake against the Rockies. ... Since the advent of the designated hitter in 1973, the Indians have never had a pitcher drive in four runs until C.C. Sabathia did so this season. ... Class A Lake County put three players on the South Atlantic League All-Star team. The players are: left-hander Aaron Laffey (5-2, 2.45 ERA), left-hander Tony Sipp (4-1, 2.14 ERA) and infielder Argenis Reyes (.331 with two homers and 33 RBIs). ... The Indians have only four errors in their last 14 games. They are 10th in the American League with a .982 fielding percentage. ... The Indians, who currently own the third-best ERA at 3.60 in the league, have allowed just 11 earned runs in their last 51 innings. The staff allowed just three earned runs in 28 innings in San Diego. ... The Indians are 19-17 in road games.
Tribe tidbits: For the first time since Jacobs Field opened in 1994, fans will have the opportunity to watch the Indians take batting practice during summer night games beginning Tuesday in the Market Pavilion area. The Market Pavilion will open at 4:30 p.m. ET for night games from June 14 through Aug. 31 to allow fans to watch the Indians take batting practice while eating dinner in the Market Pavilion or socializing at the new "Batter's Eye Bar." ... Indians fans can buy tickets for home games at The Jake through the Internet at www.indians.com, at the Jacobs Field box office, at the seven Cleveland Indians Team Shops in Northeast Ohio and through the Ticketmaster.com phone center (1-866-48-TRIBE). ... The Indians, the Cleveland Clinic and the American Red Cross will conduct a blood drive from 1-8 p.m. ET on June 16 at Jacobs Field. The location inside the ballpark will be the Carnegie Driveway in front of the Club Lounge. The Indians are inviting their front-office staff and families, game-day employees and the local media to participate in the drive.
On this date: The first All-Star Game that included black players was played in Ebbets Field in 1949. Catcher Roy Campanella, second baseman Jackie Robinson and right-hander Don Newcombe represented the National League, and Indians star Larry Doby played for the American League, which won, 11-7.
And here's the answer: In a game that drew 19,867 fans, Cleveland lost to the Detroit Tigers, 5-0.
On deck: The Indians have the day off Monday, but they will resume Interleague Play on Tuesday when the Rockies visit The Jake. Jake Westbrook will start, and he'll face Colorado left-hander Jeff Francis.
Source: http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/
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