LAKELAND, Fla. — The Indians and C.C. Sabathia don’t think overuse was at the root of the AL Cy Young Award winner’s poor postseason last year.
So Sabathia, who logged a career-high 241 innings in 2007, will once again have no limitations in ’08.
“We’ll work off him like we always have and if he’s strong, he’s going to pitch,” said manager Eric Wedge. “I have every reason to believe he will be strong.”
The major league-leading innings count came on the heels of six straight seasons in which Sabathia pitched at least 1801/3 innings — that total as a
20-year-old rookie in 2001.
It’s a heavy workload for a young pitcher, but one that Sabathia has undertaken dutifully.
“If my arm was hurting, I’d be conscious,” said Sabathia, who made his exhibition debut Saturday in a 3-3, 10-inning tie against the Tigers, allowing two runs on five hits through two innings. “But it’s not, so I don’t feel any reason to back off.
“Throughout my whole career, the Indians have done a great job of keeping me out of harm’s way. I have to trust in that.”
Despite questions about his weight, the 6-foot-7, 290-pound Sabathia has remained relatively healthy. The only arm ailments were elbow issues in 2003-04, seasons in which he still made 30 starts apiece.
Sabathia credits hard work for his stamina and health.
“It’s definitely all work because my genes are terrible,” he said. “I have to work my (butt) off just to look like this.”
As far as Sabathia’s playoff bust is concerned, he and the club are satisfied that it was a case of the ace trying to do too much as a first-time No. 1 starter in October.
“I think that’s the main reason I didn’t have any success in the postseason,” Sabathia said. “I was just too amped up. All I can do is just learn from that.”
“I think he tried to do a little too much,” Wedge said. “But one thing C.C. does very well is when he does learn something and get beyond it, he usually stays there.
“I think the next opportunity he gets to pitch in the postseason he’ll be much wiser for what he went through.”

Signing times

The Indians agreed to one-year contracts with five players Saturday — first baseman Ryan Garko, pitchers Aaron Laffey, Brian Slocum and Reid Santos and outfielder Brad Snyder.
It brings the number of unsigned, non-arbitration players to six, with the deadline to set the 40-man roster looming on March 11.

Spring fling?

Oft-injured first baseman Michael Aubrey is off to a hot start this spring, collecting two hits apiece in his first two games.
Aubrey, Cleveland’s first-round pick (11th overall) in the 2003 draft, has yet to stay healthy in any of his five seasons in the Indians organization.
“It’s never been about ability with him,” Wedge said. “He’s just had trouble staying on the field. He’s a good hitter and a consistent first baseman. He just needs to catch a break.”

Roundin’ third

Utility infielder Jamey Carroll returned to camp and was in the lineup Saturday, going 0-for-3. Carroll had been in Viera, where his wife gave birth to twins — a boy and a girl.
• Highly touted minor league catcher Wyatt Toregas left the game in the eighth inning after taking a pitch off his finger from battery mate Scott Lewis.
• The Indians and Tigers meet again today at Chain of Lakes Park, with Jake Westbrook, who was scratched from his exhibition debut Thursday, scheduled to start against veteran Kenny Rogers. Left-handers Cliff Lee and Chuck Lofgren and righties Edward Mujica, Jeff Harris, Jeff Stevens, J.D. Martin and Slocum are also expected to pitch. The game will be broadcast live on WMMS 100.7-FM.  
Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. 

INDIANS (1-1-1) 3, TIGERS (3-0-1) 3

Turning point

The Indians trailed by a run through seven innings before an RBI double from Ben Francisco tied the game in the eighth.

Hits

Francisco drove in two runs, adding his first home run of the spring off Tigers starter Dontrelle Willis in the second. In left field, he also stole a homer from Ryan Rayburn.
• Center fielder Grady Sizemore had two hits and a walk in three trips to the plate.
• Catcher Victor Martinez went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
• Jeremy Sowers worked a scoreless fourth, striking out one.  

Misses

C.C. Sabathia endured a rough exhibition debut, allowing two runs (both in the first) on five hits through two innings.
• Right fielder Jason Michaels was hitless in three at-bats, striking out once. l Reliever Jorge Julio allowed an unearned run in the sixth on two hits.
• Shortstop Andy Gonzalez went 0-for-4 with an error.

Prospect punch

Trevor Crowe (first-round pick in the 2005 draft) went 1-for-2, scored a run and threw out a runner at the plate from right field to preserve the 3-all tie in the bottom of the ninth.

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