Brandon Eagle of Fairview Park (being held by his dad) gets a memory of a lifetime as Grady Sizemore and Jensen Lewis (shown in background smiling) sign a baseball for him. The players were at Stampers as part of the Indians Press Tour (West Life photo by Larry Bennet)

Sizemore looking forward to greater things in 2008
By Matt Pawlikowski
Sports
Published Jan. 30, 2008

It’s been a few months now since the Indians fell a game short of making the World Series, and while players have had time to get it out of their minds, not so for All-Star centerfielder and Westshore resident Grady Sizemore.

“No, not at all,” said Sizemore when asked if he put the game behind him yet. “You’re not going to be able to forget something like that, not finishing the season the way you wanted to, so that loss is not far from the back of my mind, and I’m sure it’s not far from anyone’s. But we are looking forward to this year.”

Indians outfielder Grady Sizemore believes this season can be even more special than last year’s. (West Life photo by Larry Bennet)

Sizemore, who batted .277 last year, believes this year could be just as special as last year, if not better, because of the camaraderie the team shares, something not seen with a lot of teams around Major League Baseball.

“I think a big part of that is because we all came up through the system together,” he said in an exclusive interview with West Life last week. “We play in the minor leagues, and they (the Indians) have kept us together at the big league level.”

Sizemore says that when you play with guys for that long, you grow into a family.

“We’re a tight knit group of guys,” Sizemore said. “We play well together on the field, and have fun off of it as well. We’re not afraid to talk with each other and say what is on our mind.”

He also says that having a manager such as Eric Wedge is a huge bonus.

“He’s our catalyst,” said Sizemore. “He’s been my manager since I’ve been up, and I don’t know any other way.  I love his passion for the game, and the way he manages it. He’s just one of those guys you want to play for.”

And play is what Sizemore has done since coming making the big league roster. Last year alone, he ranked among the league leaders in several offensive categories, and among major league lead-off hitters, was fourth in homers with 22, and second in RBIs.

Sizemore said that manager Eric Wedge has told him he would be in the lead-off slot again, which bodes well for the Tribe.

“I will be batting leadoff again,” Sizemore said with his trademark smile. “For me, it’s been great. I love playing for this team, and the fans have been great. You couldn’t ask for better surroundings.”

He says the experience in the playoffs last year in Jacobs Field just magnified things.

“I don’t have words for it; it was just such a great feeling,” said Sizemore. “The adrenaline was flowing, and you could feel it as the season came to a close and we clinched, and your heart was just pumping. It’s one of those things where you can’t wait to get out there and play in those surroundings again.”

Asked about Jacobs Field changing names and becoming Progressive Field, or Pro Field as we have dubbed it, like many of his fellow teammates, he said it is tough.

“I know it as the Jake,” Sizemore said. “But that’s the business of the game. Fields are always going to be changing names, and it is a small thing that you have to make adjustments with.”

Considering the Indians went as deep as they did into the playoffs last year, and were on the road more than home during the year, Sizemore had no complaints, and said his off-season routine was pretty much the same as in the past.

“The off-season, for me, is pretty much the same every year,” said Sizemore. “You try to get healthy and get your strength back, and you want to go into spring training ready to go. It’s a long season, and you want to stay healthy.”

As for any other adjustments to his game, Sizemore said there was nothing different about his off-season preparations.

“Right now I feel fine,” he said. “When you get to the playoffs, you don’t feel fatigue. Those bumps and bruises you have in the middle of the season; when it’s postseason time, the adrenaline takes over.

“Again, I want to stay healthy and go out there and produce, and help my team win. Our goal is to get back to the post season again, and go further than we did last year.”