Indians roundup - News and notes

Field not great but playable: As the sun peeked through the cloud cover above Progressive Field Monday, head groundskeeper Brandon Koehnke was warmed all over. Opening day had arrived, and the ballpark was fit for baseball. Miraculously. “A few days ago, I didn’t think we had a chance,” Koehnke said. The snowiest March on record — and more than 50 inches of measurable snowfall at the ballpark since late February — put the Indians’ season opener in serious jeopardy. Less than a week ago, Koehnke and his crew finally removed the snow and pulled back the giant tarps covering the infield, revealing an unrecognizable surface. “It was like a cranberry bog,” Koehnke said. “You walked on it and you sunk four inches into the ground.” Priority No. 1 was to fix the dirt infield, mound and home plate area. Because of the sun’s low trajectory during this time of year, those parts of the field don’t get enough rays to thaw the frozen ground. Up until a few days ago, the areas were rock hard. But temperatures rose just enough to get them thawed out, giving Koehnke hope that he would have the field ready in time. “Hey, it’s not snowing,” he said. “All things considered, we’re all right.”

New duds: At first, Travis Hafner didn’t notice the new jersey hanging next to his locker. Before taking the field, Cleveland’s DH was asked what he thought of the Indians’ new “alternate” cream-colored look, which they debuted for Monday’s season opener. Hafner didn’t seem very impressed. “I’m a fan of the home whites,” he said. “We’ll have to try these.” The throwback look is a nod to the uniforms that the Indians sported in the late 1940s. The off-white jerseys feature “Indians” written in red block letters on the front with a Chief Wahoo logo on the left sleeve. The players also wore dark navy blue caps with a block “C” insignia. General manager Mark Shapiro helped design the new uniforms, which will be worn on Sundays and holidays.

Everyday Grady: Grady Sizemore played in his 359th consecutive game Monday. The longest active streak in the majors belongs to Juan Pierre (434). Toby Harrah played in 473 straight games for Cleveland from 1979-83.

Combined dispatches