Sands shows off home-run power as he fights for roster spot Moss also homers to support lefty House's strong effort By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | 1:46 AM ET + 2 COMMENTS GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Jerry Sands showed off some impressive power Tuesday night, launching a tape-measure off San Francisco's Ryan Vogelsong to help the Indians claim a 9-5 Cactus League victory over the Giants at Goodyear Ballpark.

Sands' shot came in the third inning, when he crushed a 3-0 pitch from Vogelsong to deep center field, where the ball easily cleared a roughly 55-foot-tall batter's eye behind the wall. The blast was the first of for Sands, who is competing for a spot on Cleveland's bench as a utility man. "I'm glad I wasn't pitching," Indians starter TJ House said. "That's impressive. That's a lot of strength. Not many guys have that." Indians was blown away by Sands' home run, too. "That's what you do with a 3-0 pitch," Francona said. "That was worth the price of admission. Man, that was a pretty swing." The home run was one of two surrendered by the veteran Vogelsong, who is a leading candidate for a spot in San Francisco's rotation. The right-hander worked 4 2/3 innings, in which he allowed six runs on six hits and ended with a pair of and one walk. Vogelsong also gave up a three-run homer in the first inning to Indians slugger Brandon Moss. "That ball was pretty well, too," Francona said. "He doesn't get cheated. He's going to strike out but, man, he swings like he's mad and he's strong. That's a welcome addition." Vogelsong, who was coming off 4 2/3 shutout innings last Thursday against Milwaukee, observed that he "pulled" too many pitches across home plate, making them more hittable.. "My tempo was a little off, and it was weird because I came out of the bullpen right where I wanted to be," said Vogelsong. Moss, who now has three Cactus League home runs, served as the while playing in a second consecutive game for the first time this spring. In October, Moss underwent surgery on his right hip, but he has enjoyed a setback-free recovery to this point. "I felt a lot better," Moss said of his comfort level in the batter's box. "There were some things that I wanted to make an adjustment with. I didn't feel like I was waiting back on offspeed [pitches] very well, and then today, I got a lot of offspeed, and I felt like I was staying back better and staying balanced better. I hit a ball pretty well and just missed another one. I felt good." Moss' homer bounced off a tin roof behind the right-field wall, but Sands one-upped him with the shot to center. "I was hoping I was going to get 'Swing of the Day' for once," Moss said with a laugh. "It doesn't look like that's going to happen now." House is fighting for one of the two openings in Cleveland's rotation, along with Danny Salazar, Zach McAllister and Josh Tomlin. In five innings against San Francisco, the left-hander gave up four runs on six hits, finishing with three strikeouts and two walks. All four runs came in a 24- pitch third inning, when the Giants pieced together four hits, including three doubles. "If it's going to happen, I'd rather have it happen here," Francona said. "Then, he bounced back and had a couple good innings." In that four-run third, Joaquin Arias contributed an RBI single, Casey McGehee came through with a run-scoring double and Justin Maxwell added a two-base hit off House that knocked in another pair. "They were aggressive, but some pitches were up and they made it work," said House, who has allowed eight runs on 15 hits in his past two appearances (eight innings). "[My spring has been] great except for a couple innings just kind of eating me up a little bit. Besides that, I've got some good work and I think we're just moving forward and going in the right direction." Up next: Right-hander Tomlin is scheduled to log five innings Wednesday, when the Indians head to for a 4:05 p.m. ET Cactus League clash with the Angels. All-Star Michael Brantley is slated to make the trip for the Tribe. The game will be available on MLB.TV.

Crockett faces childhood friend Pinder, gets him out Prospects have now been on field together at every level since Little League By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | March 24, 2015 + 0 COMMENTS GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Kyle Crockett saw a familiar face in the batter's box when he pitched against the A's in the eighth inning Monday. The Indians lefty was taking on Oakland Chad Pinder, whom he has known since childhood.

For the first time, Crockett and Pinder squared off in a Major League game. "It was fun," Crockett said Tuesday. "I was talking to him before the game and I asked if he was starting or anything. He said he doesn't usually get in until the eighth. I was like, 'Hey, I'm pitching the eighth. It'll be funny if we face each other.' And then I look over there and he was on- deck. It was fun." Crockett's father Gary tweeted: "I've seen I've seen @Chiwilly92 & @CrockPott3 on the field together at every level now. #757 #SoProud #DieHappy."

The 23-year-old Crockett and 22-year-old Pinder are both products of Poquoson High School in Virginia. They lived down the road from each other and played with and against each other from Little League all the way through college. Crockett went to the University of Virginia and Pinder attended Virginia Tech. In 2013, Crockett and Pinder were selected by the Indians and A's, respectively, in the First-Year Player Draft. "We played travel ball together, Little League, high school," Crockett said. "We've been playing together for a long time." Crockett came out on top in their first Major League meeting, inducing a groundout to third base from Pinder, who was at Class A Advanced Stockton last season for Oakland. Pinder later tweeted: "Who would have thought 14 years ago that this would have happened #hegotmethistime @CrockPott3."

The Cleveland left-hander is hoping to someday face his buddy in a real big league game. "Absolutely. I hope so," Crockett said. "I hope he can get there soon."

Cover models Kluber, Brantley don't believe in SI jinx Indians' stars pose for magazine, which predicts for club By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | March 24, 2015 + 0 COMMENTS GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- It has been nearly three decades since Cory Snyder and Joe Carter graced the cover of 's baseball preview edition, but the memory remains burned in the minds of many Indians fans. The magazine declared Cleveland the best team in the -- a bold proclamation that fell far from fruition.

"What happened 28 years ago?" Indians said Tuesday morning. "I'm 26." So much for the Tribe's players believing in any kind of SI cover jinx. That was the general reaction within Cleveland's clubhouse in the wake of the news that this year's Sports Illustrated preview not only includes the Indians on a regional cover, it predicts the Tribe to win its first World Series since 1948. Cleveland's cover boys are Corey Kluber and Michael Brantley, who knew during the photo shoot that it was for the front of the magazine. Asked if he believes in any kind of cover curse, Kluber was his typically succinct self. "I don't," he replied. After Snyder and Carter posed for the cover of the 1987 SI preview, the Indians went on to lose 101 games. The Tribe was also featured in the '96 SI preview, which had on the cover with the claim that "Cleveland's stacked lineup will roll over everyone -- including the Braves." The Indians won an AL-best 99 games, but lost in the AL Division Series to the Orioles. It was the Yankees who beat the Braves in the World Series. On the latest cover -- one of four, along with features on the Royals, Mariners and Nationals -- the magazine reads: "Why Cleveland? Why not Cleveland? Why the Tribe will win its first Series since 1948." Kluber (the reigning AL Cy Young winner) is standing with his arms folded, grinning wide. Brantley, who won a Silver Slugger Award and finished third in MVP voting last year, is throwing his head back in laughter. This week's cover (3/4): MLB Preview: Why the @Indians will win their first series since 1948 http://t.co/cpi8mINpRg pic.twitter.com/smFjLPOnrw - Sports Illustrated (@SInow) March 24, 2015 Neither player is known for smiling much for photos. "We took serious pictures at the end, but I guess they didn't use those," Brantley said. "I hope the fans like the picture, because I don't know how many more smiles like that that they're going to get." The Indians are fine with the attention. "We prefer to be under the radar," Chisenhall said. "After a few Cy Youngs and Silver Sluggers, you can't hide anymore." The players also know the cover means nothing once the season begins. "Nobody is going to roll over because Sports Illustrated thinks you're a better team than they are," Kluber said. Indians manager Terry Francona is extremelely familiar with perceived curses, considering he managed in Boston. In 2004, which was Francona's first season managing the Red Sox, he led the team to a World Series, ending the famous . "I used to tell the people in Boston," Francona said, "I didn't think it was a curse. I thought it was a lack of pitching. And then all of a sudden you've got guys like [Curt] Schilling and the curse ends." Cleveland has Kluber and Francona was thrilled to see him and Brantley featured. "I'm glad they're on the cover," Francona said. "It doesn't really mean anything, besides the fact that they'll get to take some copies home and give it to their families and stuff, which is kind of cool."

Francona urges Swisher not to focus on Opening Day Indians eager to get back on field after surgery on both knees By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | March 24, 2015 + 1 COMMENT GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Indians manager Terry Francona met with Nick Swisher on Tuesday morning to reinforce a message that has been in place throughout the spring. Cleveland does not want Swisher placing too much importance on Opening Day as a possible finish line for his comeback.

"We just reiterated that, 'Hey, Opening Day is not the final deadline,'" Francona said. "We certainly want him to be the best he can be, and the sooner the better, but we don't want to have artificial deadlines. We just wanted to reiterate that to him. He understands." The 34-year-old Swisher is currently working his way through a gradual rehab program in the wake of undergoing surgery on both knees in August. Francona said the veteran was scheduled to go through outfield drills Tuesday, increase the intensity of his baserunning Wednesday and potentially get at-bats in a Minor League setting soon. "When guys start to feel good," Francona said, "and you see Opening Day coming, you get the itch and you think, 'I could do it.' So, we just want to make sure all the things we talked about a month ago, we still adhere to those. There's a reason we put those in place." Worth noting • It's no secret that Francona loves versatility, using platoon advantage and playing matchups with his bullpen. With that in mind, the manager was asked how much he would love to have a switch- like Oakland's , who logged one shutout inning against the Tribe on Monday. "That's interesting. That's actually incredible," Francona said. "That'd be great [to have in the bullpen]. It'd save some time. That's pretty amazing that he can do what he does. That's hard. It's hard enough to throw a ball with your good hand." • Jason Kipnis (back) was out of the lineup Tuesday for the sixth straight game, but Francona said the is doing better. The manager noted that Kipnis took 50 swings in the cage Monday and the team was hopeful that he could get some at-bats in a Minor League game Wednesday. • Outfielder David Murphy, who left Friday's game after twisting his right ankle, was out of the lineup for the fourth game in a row Tuesday. Francona said Murphy is tentatively scheduled to serve as the designated hitter for the Indians on Wednesday. • The Indians will wear a No. 7 patch on their uniform sleeves this season to honor Al Rosen, who passed away at the age of 91 on March 13. Rosen spent 10 seasons with Cleveland (1947-56), winning the American League's Most Valuable Player Award in '53. • On Tuesday, Cleveland released the following Minor League players: Wander Beras, Leonardo Castillo, Rob Nixon, Alexis Paredes, Jerrud Sabourin, Richard Stock and Anthony Vizcaya.

Indians make roster decisions on four veteran players Chen, Downs, Marcum and infielder Rohlinger not in Opening Day plans By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | March 24, 2015 + 3 COMMENTS GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Indians manager Terry Francona and general manager held a series of meetings Tuesday morning, informing four players that they would not figure into the team's Opening Day plans under the current circumstances.

Veteran pitchers Bruce Chen, Scott Downs and Shaun Marcum, along with infielder Ryan Rohlinger -- all in camp as non-roster invitees this spring -- were told they could remain in camp with Cleveland, but that they would not break with the Major League team. Chen, Downs and Marcum have the ability to opt out of their respective contracts with the Tribe before the end of Spring Training. "All of those guys, we told them that, if nothing changed, they would not be on the Opening Day roster," Francona said, "but that they were welcome to stay with us and, if they wanted to look around or whatever -- talk to their agents, talk to their families -- let us know how they're doing." The 39-year-old Downs is Cleveland's lone player who falls under Article XX (B) in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Downs signed a Minor League contract as a six-year free agent after ending the previous year on a Major League deal. He is eligible for a $100,000 retention bonus and an automatic June 1 opt-out clause if he decides to accept a Minor League assignment. Marcum, who flew to Kansas City earlier this week to be with his wife for the birth of their third child, expressed this spring that he is willing to consider going to Triple-A for the Indians. It is not known yet how Chen -- who, like Marcum, was vying for a spot in the rotation -- plans to proceed. "There's some things to think about," Francona said. "Chris was pretty open and honest with them about, if there's opportunities for them, never holding them back. But, we weren't telling them that they couldn't [continue to] pitch [this spring with Cleveland], because actually, they've all three done really well. It's just, right now, we have guys ahead of them." Rohlinger will remain in camp as an extra infielder for the Indians before transitioning to the Minor League side later in camp.

Brandon Moss powers Indians to 9-5 win over Giants By GARY SCHATZ (Associated Press) GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) -- Brandon Moss showed off the power that persuaded Cleveland to trade for him, hitting a three-run homer against Ryan Vogelsong that helped the Indians beat the 9-5 on Tuesday night.

Just picked by Sports Illustrated to win the , the Indians went out and beat the defending champions in a Cactus League tuneup.

''I'm glad people think we have a pretty good team, but it doesn't affect anything we do,'' manager Terry Francona said. ''If anything, you probably want to work harder.''

Moss, coming off a hip injury that sapped his power in the second half with Oakland last year, connected for his third home run of the spring. He finished his 2014 All-Star season with 25 homers and 81 RBIs before Cleveland acquired him in December for a minor league infielder.

''He doesn't get cheated,'' Francona said. ''He's a welcome addition.''

Minor league outfielder Jerry Sands cleared the center-field batter's eye - which is 55 feet tall - with a two-run shot off Vogelsong.

''That was worth the price of admission,'' Francona said. ''He showed what you do with a 3-0 pitch. He handles himself very well. He can help us at some point.''

Vogelsong, who tossed 4 2-3 scoreless innings in his previous outing, has given up four homers and 12 earned runs in 17 innings.

''My tempo was a little off and I was pulling the ball back over the plate,'' Vogelsong said. ''I wasn't as sharp as the last time out. I pulled the ball to Moss right into his swing. The other one (to Sands) was right down the middle.''

Justin Maxwell and Casey McGehee hit back-to-back RBI doubles off Indians left-hander T.J. House. Maxwell was 3 for 4 as the designated hitter.

Juan Perez also doubled off House, who allowed four runs for the second consecutive outing. This time, they all came in one inning.

TRAINER'S ROOM Giants: OF Angel Pagan, who has been out with back problems, was 1 for 4 in a minor league game. He is slated to play in a Cactus League game Wednesday.

Indians: Jason Kipnis' sore back is better. The second baseman took some at-bats in minor league games. ... Nick Swisher went through outfield drills. He will continue his baserunning program Wednesday and might hit in minor league games. ... David Murphy, who twisted his ankle Friday night, will be the DH on Wednesday against the Angels.

STARTING TIME Giants: RHP pitched five innings in a minor league game earlier in the day. He allowed two unearned runs, did not walk a batter and struck out four. He threw 75 pitches, 50 for strikes. ... Vogelsong has been in the Giants' rotation for two World Series titles, making more than 30 starts in each of those championship seasons. His stats this spring probably won't affect his standing in San Francisco, but he has struggled at times.

''We've been through this before,'' Vogelsong said. ''Physically, I feel good. Mentally, I feel good. My tempo was a little off tonight. It was funny, but in the bullpen it was right where it should be. But it was off on the mound and caused me to pull the ball back over the plate.''

Indians: House was a 16th-round choice in the 2008 draft. He joined the Indians for the second half last season and made 18 starts. He is competing with four other young pitchers - Carlos Carrasco, Zach McAllister, Danny Salazar and Josh Tomlin - for two openings in the rotation. All have started for Cleveland.

''They were aggressive, but some pitches were up and they made it work,'' said House, who has allowed eight runs and 15 hits in his past two appearances spanning eight innings. ''(My spring has been) great except for a couple innings just kind of eating me up a little bit. Besides that, I've got some good work and I think we're just moving forward and going in the right direction.'' ... In other news, veteran pitchers Scott Downs, Shaun Marcum and Bruce Chen were told they won't make the opening-day roster.

SI JINX? Michael Brantley and Corey Kluber will be pictured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Francona said he feels no added pressure because of the championship prediction - nor does he believe in the SI jinx.

''I'm glad to see them get the recognition,'' Francona said. ''It is something special, they can take a couple copies home to their family. It isn't just regional, it's national recognition. It won't affect how we play. I used to tell people in Boston: 'It wasn't a jinx. It was lack of pitching.'''

NUMBER 7 Indians will honor Al Rosen, who died on March 13 at age 91, by wearing his No. 7 on their right sleeves this season. Rosen played for Cleveland his entire 10-year career. He was the last Indians player to win the AL MVP, in 1953. Rosen also had ties to the Giants. He was named Executive of the Year in 1987 as a member of their front office.

UP NEXT Giants: RHP starts Wednesday against Colorado RHP Eddie Butler.

Indians: Tomlin faces Angels RHP Nick Tropeano on Wednesday.

Cleveland Indians will wear No.7 on jerseys to honor Tribe great Al Rosen (photos) Paul Hoynes, Northeast Ohio Media Group GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Indians will honor Al Rosen this season by wearing his No.7 on the right sleeve of all their jerseys. Rosen, a member of the Indians Hall of Fame, died March 13. He was 91. The hard-nosed Rosen -- he broke his nose 11 times as a third baseman and boxer -- spent his entire 10-year career with the Indians. He is the last Indian to win the AL MVP award for his performance in 1953. Rosen hit .336 with 43 homers and 145 RBI that year. He missed winning the Triple Crown by .001 as Washington's edged him for the batting title on the final game of the regular season. After his playing career, Rosen was a successful businessman in Cleveland. He later returned to baseball as President of the and GM of the and San Francisco Giants. In 1987, Rosen was named The Sporting News Executive of the Year for his work with the Giants. He is the only person in baseball history to win an MVP on the field and be named executive of the year off it. The 1987 Giants won the NL West with a 90-72 record. It was their first postseason appearance since 1971. Rosen was a four-time All-Star and one of the last links to the Indians' team. Rosen played five games with the last Cleveland team to win a World Series. He was a career .285 hitter with 192 homers and 717 RBI. Rosen played with the Indians from 1947-56. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 03.25.2015

Indian Uprising: New Sports Illustrated cover tells fans to 'Wait till this year' Zack Meisel, Northeast Ohio Media Group By Zack Meisel, Northeast Ohio Media Group CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Twenty-eight years ago, Cory Snyder and Joe Carter gripped their bats and offered awkward smiles at the camera. The Sports Illustrated cover, titled "Indian Uprising" declared that the Indians were "the best team in the American League," one year removed from an 84-78 finish. The Tribe proceeded to mount a 61-101 record in 1987. The vaunted "SI jinx" was in full force. SI is at it again. The magazine released four regional covers on Tuesday. The Indians grace one of the four, with AL winner Corey Kluber and Michael Brantley sharing a laugh at home plate. The cover reads: "Wait till this year" "Why Cleveland? Why not Cleveland? Why the Tribe will win its first series since 1948" The , and also are on regional covers. Drag your cursor over photo below to transition between the new Sports Illustrated cover and the one printed in 1987. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 03.25.2015

Jerry Sands, Brandon Moss homer to lead Cleveland Indians to 9-5 victory over Giants (photos, videos) Paul Hoynes, Northeast Ohio Media Group By Paul Hoynes, Northeast Ohio Media Group GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- TJ House, for his second straight appearance, found one inning of trouble, but this time the Indians power saved him. Brandon Moss hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Jerry Sands hit a two-run homer in the third Tuesday night as the Indians beat the Giants, 9-5, in front of 7,436 fans at Goodyear Ballpark. House, competing for one of the two open spots in the rotation, pitched five innings. He allowed four runs on six hits with three strikeouts and two walks. The inning in question came in the third as House allowed four runs to turn a 4-0 lead into a tie ballgame. In the inning, he allowed three doubles. The left-hander righted himself after that and pitched two scoreless innings to finish his night. "I just started to move them back (off the plate) a little more," said House. "I started working my change up a little more. They were aggressive some pitches were up and they hit them." Manager Terry Francona said House found trouble when tried to strike Nori Aoki out with one out on a man on third, but walked him to set up the San Francisco rally. "He has to let Aoki put the ball in play there," said Francona. "Then it's 4-1 with two out. But he came back and had two good innings." TJ House talks about one bad inning vs. Giants Left-hander TJ House allowed four runs Tuesday night, all of them coming in the fourth inning, in the Indians 9-5 victory over the Giants. In his other four innings of work, he did not allow a run as he continues to pursue a spot in the rotation. Long and high Sands put House and the Indians back in front to stay with one of the longest homers hit at Goodyear Ballpark. With two out and Yan Gomes on first, Sands hit a 3-0 pitch from Ryan Vogelsong over the batter's eye, which is attached to the center field wall. The wall is 410 feet from the plate and the combined height of the wall and batter's eye is more than 55 feet. "I'm just glad I wasn't pitching," said House. "It was impressive. That's a lot of strength." Said Moss, "I thought I was going to get swing of the day, but I don't think that's going to happen now." Said Francona, "That was worth the price of admission." Hitting coaches Ty Van Burkleo and Matt Quatraro post a series of pictures -- frame-by-frame -- of the top swing from the previous day on a bulletin board in the Indians locker room. Little big men Between the homers by Moss and Sands, Jose Ramirez kept doing good things. Ramirez, with two out in the second, singled home Tyler Holt for a 4-0 lead. Holt, who has also had a solid spring, started the inning with a single to right. Don't forget Cookie Carlos "Cookie' Carrasco, facing Class AAA Charlotte (White Sox), threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings Tuesday. He struck out 10, walked one and allowed one hit. What happens next? RHP Josh Tomlin faces Angels right-hander Nick Tropeano at 4:05 p.m. in Tempe, Ariz. MLB.com webcast will carry game. Dustin Molleken, Nick Hagadone, Anthony Swarzak and CC Lee scheduled to follow Tomlin. Mike Morin, Vinnie Pestano and Fernando Salas scheduled to follow Tropeano for Angels. Trevor Bauer is scheduled to pitch six innings in a B game against the Angels at 1 p.m. in Tempe. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 03.25.2015 Will Sports Illustrated jinx rain down upon Cleveland Indians in 2015? Paul Hoynes, Northeast Ohio Media Group By Paul Hoynes, Northeast Ohio Media Group GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Corey Kluber and Michael Brantley on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the Indians picked to win their first World Series since 1948. And the Browns think they have problems. How many Indians fans went gulp and had their stomach flip when they saw that cover online Tuesday? Forget that Kluber and Brantley were actually smiling on it, which is like catching a glimpse of Haley's comet; there are far more serious consequences at work here. Yeah, we're talking 1987 and the spring-training SI cover of Joe Carter and Cory Snyder. Great things were predicted for that Indians team as well followed by a season of 101 losses. Why can't SI just leave the Indians alone? This was supposed to be the season that they went stealth mode on the rest of the American League. They were going to step out of the shadows and catch people from behind. "So much for under the radar," said third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall after seeing the SI cover. "That's what happens when you have a Cy Young winner and a couple of Silver Slugger winners." This can't be good, right? Every jinx-predicting molecule in every Indians fan's body has to be popping over this. Terry Francona, the jinx-buster himself, says it's not that big a deal. In fact, he actually enjoyed his players getting the recognition. Francona does not believe in jinxes and he has to resume to prove it. As Boston's rookie manager in 2004, he led the Red Sox to their first World Series championship since 1918. In doing so he broke the Curse of the Bambino. "When I was in Boston, I told them it wasn't a curse, it was a lack of pitching," said Francona. "You get Curt Schilling, end of curse." The Red Sox had gone 86 years without winning a World Series when Francona dispelled the ghost of Babe Ruth. The Indians have gone 66 years without a World Series title. It's not 86 years, but it's still an imposing obstacle whether it's cloaked in a curse or not. This time around Sports Illustrated covered its bets. The cover of Kluber and Brantley was one of four regional covers. It also produced covers predicting the Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners and Washington Nationals winning the World Series. "They picked two teams in our division," said Brantley. "How is that going to work out?" Brantley, unlike Francona, believes in jinxes. But not when it comes to Sports Illustrated. "I don't know the SI jinx," said Brantley, third in the AL MVP voting last year and a Silver Slugger winner. "I've never heard of it. Don't want to hear about it. I've heard about the Madden jinx, but I've never heard about the SI jinx and I don't want to hear about it." On the cover, Kluber is smiling and Brantley is leaning backward in laughter. It's not that Kluber and Brantley don't enjoy themselves, but in the locker room their game faces are almost always locked on tight. Asked what he was laughing about, Brantley said, "They took so many pictures I couldn't tell you what we were laughing at. I have no idea, but I hope the fans like those pictures because I don't know how many more smiles you're going to get after that." Added Brantley, "I think that's why they had to use that picture. It might not ever happen again." Brantley said the photo shoot was fun. "To be on the cover with somebody like Corey, who works so hard and is such a great teammate and person, is an honor," said Brantley. Kluber said the photo shoot took about 10 minutes. As for believing in the SI jinx, last year's AL Cy Young winner said, "I don't." But once you've appeared on the cover of Popular Mechanics, as Kluber did to explain the inner workings of the , the SI jinx can't be too daunting. The same goes for the prediction that the Indians will win the World Series. "I don't think it has any real bearing on what actually happens," said Kluber. "All they are is predictions. Once the season starts they really don't mean much. "I mean no one is going to roll over because Sports Illustrated thinks you're a better team than they are." Francona, who brought one of baseball's biggest curses to an end, likes the mystic side of the game. "In our game, whether it's old wives tales or whatever, they're fun," said Francona. "There's the billy goat thing in Chicago. But it's all folklore, and it doesn't affect how we play. "To be honest with you, the odds are probably in the favor of the jinx working. I have complete confidence in our team, but I don't think the odds say we're going to win the World Series. I don't think they're that way for any team ... so it will be easy to say the jinx worked." That should make you feel better, Cleveland. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 03.25.2015

Swisher on trying to play through injury GOODYEAR, Ariz. --Indians manager Terry Francona is not expecting Nick Swisher to be ready for the April 6 at Houston. "As it progresses it is a little bit of a reach to think he'd be ready, even in his own mind," Francona said before Monday's Cactus League game against Oakland. "We want him to be healthy and go off his schedule." Swisher, who had surgery on both knees on Aug. 20, has been taking live batting practice since the start of spring training but has only ramped up the and fielding over the past week. Sunday marked the first time that he ran the bases without wearing knee braces. Francona said that Swisher was a little timid at the start of the session and then started to gain confidence. Swisher will do more base running and outfield drills on Tuesday before playing in a minor-league game on Wednesday. Even that won't be full speed though as a pinch-runner can be used. Francona is hoping that they can gradually ramp up the intensity of the drills as things progress. The Indians are hoping that more of a timetable on Swisher's comeback becomes clearer later in the week. There are two major hurdles that Swisher has not cleared yet -- he has not run the bases at full speed and is not yet in "baseball shape". Francona thinks that it won't take long for him to be ready for games. Swisher starting the season on the disabled list also prevents Francona from having to juggle three players at two spots as Brandon Moss and David Murphy can start the season as the designated hitter and . When Swisher does return, he would be an outfielder or designated hitter. In 34 games as the DH last season Swisher batted .235, which was 27 points higher than his season average.

Indians take SI cover as a compliment, not a jinx Joe ReedyFOX Sports Ohio GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Terry Francona played a season with the Cubs and managed the Red Sox for eight years. When it comes to curses and jinxes, he's run across almost all of them. That's why when Sports Illustrated revealed on Tuesday that Corey Kluber and Michael Brantley were gracing one of the covers for their baseball preview and picking the Tribe to win the World Series, Francona wasn't fazed. After all, what's another jinx to the man who helped vanquish Boston's 90-year curse? "I used to tell the people in Boston I didn't think it was a curse but a lack of pitching. You get guys like Curt Schilling and the curse ends," Francona said before a Cactus League game against San Francisco. "I'm actually kind of glad that some people think we have a pretty good team. If anything you want to work harder." Most Indians fans have come up with four-letter verbs other than "glad". The first thought that came to mind was the 1987 SI preview the proclaimed an "Indian Uprising" with Corey Snyder and Joe Carter on the cover. That team proceeded to lose 102 games. Nine years later Manny Ramirez was featured with the prediction of a win over the Braves in a World Series rematch. The Tribe got to the postseason but lost in four games to Baltimore in the American League Division Series. The SI jinx is not just confined to the Indians. In 1988 Browns QB Bernie Kosar was on the cover for the NFL Preview and he was injured in the first game. In his two tenures with the Cavaliers, LeBron James has been on the NBA Preview cover four times, including this season. At least now when SI does season previews the covers are regional -- look at it this way at least one team doesn't get all the bad luck. Besides the Indians, the Royals, Mariners and Nationals have their own covers. Francona would later go on to say something that might have come straight out of a psychology textbook when it comes to jinxes. "To be honest the odds are in their favor that the jinx works," he said. "I have complete confidence in our team but I don't think the odds are we are going to win the World Series. For any team there are 29 other teams that are good and it is easy to say the jinx worked." While SI in '87 was out on an island in calling the Indians one of the best teams in the American League, that isn't the case this season. National analysts have picked the Indians to make the postseason and some have predicted them to win the division. Feb 26, 2015; Goodyear, AZ, USA; Cleveland Indians Corey Kluber (28) poses during photo day at Goodyear Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports Tribe -- and smiling Corey Kluber - featured on SI MLB preview cover

Kluber and teammate Michael Brantley, who finished third in American League MVP voting, are coverboys on a regional edition of Sports Illustrated's 2015 MLB preview. More than anything, many in the organization view the cover as a sign that Kluber and Brantley are finally getting some much-deserved national recognition. The bigger accomplishment might have been SI photographer Robert Beck getting both of them smiling at the same time. Brantley said that during the 10-minute cover shoot, the photographer took so many photos that he didn't know what they were laughing about. "With a Cy Young winner and a couple of Silver Sluggers you can't hide," Lonnie Chisenhall said. "Brantley has been unbelievable the past couple seasons and Kluber all his numbers speak for themselves. To see them get the recognition they deserve is awesome." Brantley said he has never heard of the SI jinx and asked if it was similar to the Madden cover jinx? When told they were eerily similar he didn't want to hear anymore. Even with the increased attention, Brantley is not about to get caught up in living up to expectations or thinking about a repeat of last year's breakout season that saw him finish third in the AL MVP voting. "Our job is to win as many baseball games as we can. There's no secret we are going to need everyone and then some," Brantley added. Kluber looks at the cover more as recognition for things accomplished. Sure, predictions are nice to talk about the next couple weeks but they aren't going to mean much on April 6 when the season begins. He added: "No one is going to roll over because Sports Illustrated thinks you are the better team." Also for as much as people were quick to bring up the memories of 1987, only 12 of the players on this year's 40-man roster were alive when that cover came out. In other words, if the Indians aren't fretting, you shouldn't either. "I think it falls back on whatever happens we try to turn it into a reason to be motivated," Francona said. "For every magazine that picks you to be good there's another that picks you to be bad. If we go up and down because of that, we're not emotionally strong."

Baseball: Clippers pitchers will be among those in minors on the clock By Ronald BlumAssociated Press • Tuesday March 24, 2015 11:57 AM NEW YORK -- Pitchers will have to beat the clock at Class AAA and AA this season.

In an effort to speed games, Minor League Baseball's governing body said today that a ball will be called in the count starting May 1 when a pitcher fails to start his windup or reach the set position within 20 seconds after having possession of the ball on the mound.

The clock will be reset when with runners on base a pitcher feints a pickoff or steps off the rubber -- or after any action that allows a hitter to reach the batter's box. Depending on the situation, the hitter must be in the batter's box or within the dirt circle surrounding the plate when the countdown begins.

The speed-up rules are more radical than those instituted in the major leagues for 2015, where approval of the players' association was needed. Minor-league violators in April will be subject to warnings only, the same as in the major leagues.

Both the major leagues and minors will have clocks timing pitching changes and between-inning breaks: 2 minutes, 25 seconds for most games and 2:45 for games on national television.

Penalties in the major leagues are limited to warnings and fines, but in the minors a ball would be called if a pitcher doesn't start his windup or come to a set during the last 20 seconds. In addition, a strike would be called if a hitter isn't in the batter's box and "alert to the pitch" with five or more seconds left.

Clocks are being installed at 60 ballparks in the high minors, paid for by Major League Baseball Advanced Media, the interactive branch of MLB.

The major leagues also plan to enforce the rule used in the minors that requires a hitter to keep at least one foot in the batter's box in many instances.

Jim Ingraham: Sports Illustrated puts onus on Cleveland Indians — again By Jim Ingraham, The News-Herald & The Morning Journal In the course of human events, there are certain combinations of words for which we the people had, or would have had, no frame of reference. For example:

“Man walks on the moon.” “E = MC2”

“Monkeys fly out of man’s butt”

And “Indians win the World Series”

It’s impossible to wrap your mind around any of that.

Especially the last one, especially if you live around these parts — and we can now thank Sports Illustrated for that. Every 30 years or so, that magazine apparently feels the urge to talk crazy talk, and maybe they’ve done it again this year.

The cover of this week’s issue of SI predicts — are you sitting down? — the Indians will win the World Series.

Not just make the playoffs, mind you, but win the whole enchilada.

There they are, right there on the cover of SI’s Baseball Preview issue: Corey Kluber and Michael Brantley, smiling mischievously (Kluber) and hysterically (Brantley),

“Wait Till This Year” reads the teaser, “Why Cleveland? Why NOT Cleveland? Why The Tribe Will Win Its First Series since 1948”.

The magazine hedges its bet slightly, because the Kluber/Brantley cover is a regional cover, presumably sent to the Midwest only. There are three other regional covers, featuring the Mariners, Royals and Nationals, presumably sent to those teams’ regions.

But those other three only say watch out for those teams. The Kluber/Brantley cover specifically says the words that the Indians will win the World Series.

You’re on the clock, SI. Again.

It was nearly 30 years ago when the same magazine made nearly the same prediction, with Joe Carter and Cory Snyder as the cover boys on SI’s Baseball Preview issue, which maniacally declared Cleveland the best team in the American League.

Those of us of a certain age know how well that worked out: The Indians that year (1987), fired their manager (Pat Corrales) at midseason, had a starting (Chris Bando) who hit .218, a No. 1 starting pitcher (Tom Candiotti) who lost 18 games, plus two well over-the-hill future Hall of Fame pitchers (42-year-old Steve Carlton and 48-year-old Phil Niekro), who combined to start 36 games and lose 20 of them.

The team ERA of 5.28 was nearly half a run higher than any other team in the league, the Indians scored the third-fewest runs in the league and made the most errors in the league: 153, which is 37 more than they made last year when they led the majors in errors.

The team Sports Illustrated predicted was the best in the American League lost 101 games and was the worst in the American League.

By far.

I covered that team, and I remember when that SI issue came out, myself and the other Indians beat writers looked at it, then looked at each other and said — and I’m paraphrasing here — what????

Or maybe it was huh?????

I forget.

It took Sports Illustrated nearly 30 years to wipe the egg off its face from that debacle, but they’re back this year with another shameless grab for newsstand sales in the Cleveland area.

The magazine is predicting a team that didn’t win its division last year, or even finish second in the division, will win the World Series this year.

You read it there, not here, first.

I actually do think the Indians have a chance to make, and go deep, into the playoffs. But that’s only if their starting pitching performs reasonably close to the level it performed last year.

The Indians do have the best pitcher in the league from last year. In my opinion, they have the best manager. They have a productive, underrated bullpen. They should have enough offense to produce enough runs to make the most of that pitching staff.

But the Indians last year were the worst defensive team in the majors, and that weakness was not addressed during the offseason. The same defenders who played kick ball on defense last year are back this year.

Indians officials’ laissez faire approach to the defense during the offseason — if it’s broke, don’t fix it — may be the decision on which the 2015 season, not to mention Sports Illustrated’s bold prediction, hinges.

The Indians had one of the best pitching staffs in baseball last year, a pitching staff that excelled despite having the worst defense in the majors behind it.

Imagine how many more games they could have won with just a mediocre defense.

For now, though, as the basketball playoffs approach, and as we prepare to slide our canoe into the headwaters of the 2015 baseball season, let’s just enjoy those que sera smiles of cover boys Kluber and Brantley, and contemplate the nearly uncontemplatable:

After a half-century drought, could Cleveland teams win TWO world championships this year?