MINNEAPOLIS — Left-hander Cliff Lee and center fielder Grady Sizemore were named to the AL All-Star team Sunday, a bright spot for the Cleveland Indians in a season that’s all but lost.
Lee and Sizemore were both acquired by the Indians in a five-player deal in 2002 that sent Bartolo Colon to the Montreal Expos.
“When you’ve gone through as much as we’ve gone through as a ballclub this year, sometimes you can lose track of that,” manager Eric Wedge said. “But you shouldn’t, because they’ve both had great first halves. I’m just thrilled that they’re going to get an opportunity.”
Lee learned of the honor before he blew a 3-1 lead and lost to the Minnesota Twins
4-3, his first defeat in nine starts. Still, he has enjoyed a remarkable turnaround after an awful 2007 season that began with a spring training injury to an abdominal muscle and included five weeks in the minors last summer.
“You talk about the difference in a year, on the positive side. What a great job,” Wedge said. “It’s fantastic what he’s done. His focus is so much better from pitch to pitch. His concentration level. He’s staying in his delivery and commanding the baseball.”
After fighting for a spot in the rotation this spring, Lee has come back better than he ever was. He went 5-0 with an 0.96 ERA in April and hasn’t let up much since. He’s a strong candidate to start the game for the AL on July 15. With his next outing scheduled for Friday, he’s in line to be ready to throw should he be chosen.
Lee’s previous best year in the majors was 2005, when he went 18-5 with a 3.79 ERA in 32 starts. Sunday, his ERA rose to 2.43.
“Making the All-Star team is just icing on the cake, I guess,” Lee said. “I have been pretty fortunate this year and things have gone my way quite a bit. I wish I could have helped the team win a little more today.”
Sizemore, who was selected for his third straight All-Star Game, has been the one constant at the top of Cleveland’s lineup this year with the heart of the order — Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez — out for the past several weeks due to injuries.
He leads the AL with 22 homers.
“It’s a fine line, a disciplined line, you have to walk,” Wedge said. “You know you have to do more, but you can’t try too hard. Grady is doing a fine job of walking that line.”
He has 11 homers and 20 RBIs in his last 30 games and has 20 stolen bases and a .269 average for the season. He leads the Indians in nearly every significant offensive category.
“I think he can play in any era, for any team, for any manager,” Wedge said, “just because of the way he plays and what he’s all about.”
Sizemore said he wasn’t expecting the honor this year.
“There are a lot of outfielders having good years. I just see myself up there among those guys, but I’ll go from there,” Sizemore said. “I am happy to be a part of it.”
He said he wasn’t sure yet whether he would participate in the home run derby.
 

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