Photo: Bill Richardson, Baseball Digest Daily
Are Grady Sizemore and the Indians up for the challenge against Boston?
TRIBE TALK by Bill Chuck
• The Indians have now played 61 postseason games since the 1995 season and are 32-39 in those games.
• The Indians earned their seventh AL Central Division title and first since 2001 as they posted a mark of 96-66 (.593) during the regular season which tied the Red Sox for the best record in the majors.
• The 96 wins were the seventh highest single-season win title in franchise history and their most wins in a season since 1999 (97-65).
• It was the 17th time in franchise history that the team topped 90 wins.
• The Indians seven division titles since 1995 is third most in the majors over that time, trailing only the Atlanta Braves (11) & the New York Yankees (10).
• Their 48-28 was the best intra-division mark in the majors this year. The Indians were 35-40 (.467) against the AL Central in 2006.
• The Indians recorded 11 or more wins against all 4 teams in the Central, including a record of 14-4 (.778) against the Minnesota Twins.
• The Indians pitching staff finished with the third lowest ERA in the American League at 4.05, down from 4.41 in 2006.
• Indians starters posted the lowest ERA (4.19) in the AL, while recording 70 of the teams 96 wins, which ranked 3rd most in the MLB.
• Tribe’s starters led all MLB starting staff’s in innings pitched with 1021.1 innings ahead of the Chicago White Sox (1016.0) and Toronto Blue Jays (102.1IP).
• Since July 24th, the Indians starting pitchers were 29-17 with a 3.31 ERA (410.2IP, 402H, 151ER) over their final 63 games to lower their ERA from 4.79 (10th in the AL) to 4.19 (led AL).
• Fausto Carmona (3.06) finished 2nd in the AL in ERA, while C.C. Sabathia (3.21) finished 5th in the league. This marked the first time since 2000 (Colon & Finley) that the Indians had 2 pitchers finish in the top 10 in ERA.
• The Indians finished 6th in the American League and 8th in Major League Baseball with 811 runs scored (5.0RS/GM).
• From August 17 thru the end of the season the Indians hit .275 (402-1462) with 86 2B, 42HR and 211 runs scored over the last 42 games (5.0RS/GM).
• The Indians were a major league-best 31-12 (.721) over the last 43 games of the season since August 15th.
• The Indians hit .264 (671-2553) in the second half (4.6RS per game) after hitting .272 (831-3051) and averaging 5.4RS per game in the first half.
• Overall the Indians finished 7th in the AL in doubles (305), 5th in home runs (178), 12th in stolen bases (72), 4th in walks (490), 5th in on-base % (343) and 5th in slugging % (.428)
• Tribe had 7 different players notch double-digit home run totals and 5 reach the 20 homer plateau.
• In the ALDS, the Tribe scored 16 of their 24 runs with two out.
• They were 12-for-27 with two out and runners in scoring position against the Yanks.
• Grady Sizemore hit .375 (6-for-16) with three runs and a .524 on base percentage.
• Jhonny Peralta hit .467 (7-for-15.
• Victor Martinez and Kenny Lofton tied for the RBI lead with four each.
• In six innings, Rafael Perez went 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA, allowing one run on three hits. He struck out six and walked a batter.
• The Red Sox own home field advantage because they went 5-2 against the Indians during the regular season.
• In losing five of seven games to Boston during the regular season, the Indians hit .229 (45-for-197). Kelly Shoppach hit .571 (4-for-7) with one homer and one RBI. Kenny Lofton hit .297 (11-for-37) against Boston as a member of the Texas Rangers.
• Paul Byrd and Fausto Carmona are the only Tribe pitchers to beat Boston this year.
• In Boston's seven games against the Tribe this season, Ramirez batted .417 with two doubles, three home runs and seven RBI.
• Against C.C. Sabathia, Manny Ramirez hit .571, 12-for-21, but Jason Varitek hit.100, 1-for-10.
• Josh Beckett has struggled against Travis Hafner (.444, 4-for-9), but loves to face Victor Martinez (.182, 2-for-11).
• Casey Blake, has a .348 average with five home runs and 12 RBI in 46 at-bats at Fenway.
• Travis Hafner has a career average of .345 with four homers and 21 RBI in 58 at-bats at Fenway.
• Kenny Lofton, has an average of .333 with three homers and 18 RBI in 234 Fenway at-bats.
• Victor Martinez is batting .314 with three homers and 14 RBI in 51 Fenway at-bats, and the numbers for Jhonny Peralta are .286 with two RBI.
• Grady Sizemore has a .231 average with two home runs and four RBI in 38 at-bats at Fenway.
• Kelly Shoppach is 4-for-5 with a home run, and Jason Michaels is 4-for-10 with a homer at the Fens.
• Sabathia is a homegrown pitcher who is 100-63 over his seven seasons.
• Carmona signed as a non-drafted free agent in December 2000 and went 1-10 as a rookie last year.
• Paul Byrd, went 15-8 this season, his most victories since 2002.
• In the bullpen, the Rafaels — Betancourt and Perez — each has an ERA lower than 1.80,
• Closer Joe Borowski had 45 saves.
• The bullpen ranks fifth in the AL in ERA.
• The intended closer, Keith Foulke, retired in spring training.
• The first homestand was postponed by snow.
• Designated hitter Travis Hafner, a career .297 batter before this season, ended at .266.
• Cliff Lee, an 18-game winner two years ago, and Jeremy Sowers, 7-4 as a rookie in 2006, went 6-14 total.
• Ryan Garko is a converted catcher playing first base.
• Switch-hitting rookie shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, began the season at Class AA Akron (Ohio), came up Aug. 7 and has hit in the No. 2 slot while playing second base — even though he had never played that position in the minors.