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Do IT this week: Layering
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Sunday, Sep 30, 2007
KANSAS CITY, MO.: The Indians failed to win any of their six games against the Yankees during the season, so what makes them think they can master the New Yorkers in the Division Series?
''We're a far different team now, as they are,'' Indians manager Eric Wedge said Saturday. ''If we go out and play good baseball, everything will take care of itself.''
But do the Tribe players believe that?
''They know how the season evolved and what they're capable of doing,'' Wedge said. ''These guys have a tremendous amount of confidence in each other.''
At least one player thinks that regular season performances have little to do with the postseason.
''They have a lot of playoff experience; the Yankees are a great team,'' Travis Hafner said. ''But we feel very good about our team. I don't think anybody cares what happened during the season.''
Indians General Manager Mark Shapiro believes that the road to the World Series is paved with deep potholes, and not just because of the Yankees.
''It doesn't matter who we play,'' he said. ''This is the American League, so there is no easy path.''
COMING SOON Wedge and Shapiro have made their decisions (almost) about the composition of the roster for the Division Series, but they will keep that information to themselves until at least today.
''We're down to 26 players,'' Shapiro said. ''Our format will depend on whether we start on Wednesday or Thursday.''
Teams that begin Wednesday will have three off days if the five-game set goes the distance. A Thursday start will include two off days. If the Tribe plays Wednesday, it will carry 10 pitchers. The roster will include 11 if its series begins on Thursday.
''I've had conversations with players (whether they're on or off the roster), but we won't make any announcements until tomorrow,'' Wedge said.
THE RULES Final rosters don't have to be sent to the commissioner's office until 10 a.m. of the day a team starts the Division Series.
A rule change this year allows a team to replace an injured player while a playoff series is ongoing. Pitchers must replace pitchers, and position players must replace position players. An injured player removed in the middle of a series cannot be included on the roster of the subsequent series.
HANDLING THE HYPE Most of the Indians have not been exposed to the media attention and hype of the playoffs. Consequently, Wedge addressed his troops on that topic.
''I talked to them Tuesday in Seattle,'' he said. ''I'll do it again next week about what form it will take and what they should expect and how to handle things.''
Wedge hasn't been through a major-league postseason either.
''I know there will be more demands on my time, more distractions,'' he said. ''We have people who have been through this multiple times, and they know how to prepare (me) for it.''
KANSAS CITY, MO.: The Indians failed to win any of their six games against the Yankees during the season, so what makes them think they can master the New Yorkers in the Division Series?
Get the full article here.
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