Tribe has a reminder

Infielder Jamey Carroll played in the World Series last year with the Rockies.

GATEHOUSE NEWS SERVICE

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — The Indians have spent most of the winter wondering what it would have been like to play in the World Series.

Jamey Carroll did play in the World Series, and says it was an unforgettable experience.

“It was my first time in the playoffs, and it was everything I wanted it to be,” said Carroll, a utility infielder on the Colorado Rockies team that was swept by Boston in the 2007 Fall Classic.

The only downside for Carroll and the Rockies was the result. Boston swept Colorado in four games. A month later, he was traded to the Indians for a player to be named. He will likely finish spring training as the backup middle infielder, a veteran insurance policy should Asdrubal Cabrera or Jhonny Peralta struggle or be injured.

“It’s a new challenge,” Carroll said. “I played my whole career in the National League. It should be interesting to see how a utility player survives over here. They had a great year last year and were one game away from playing in the Series.”

The Indians fell to Boston in seven games in the American League Championship Series. Colorado, meanwhile, was on a historic roll. The Rockies had won 21 of their last 22 games, sweeping Philadelphia and Arizona in the playoffs.

“We weren’t nervous. We weren’t pressing. We were in the back of the room, fighting our way to the front,” Carroll said. “You get into that kind of streak and you have that mindset, knowing something good is going to happen. We had a lot of fun. It all came together and gelled at the right time.”

That success was accompanied by a downside, however. The Rockies were forced to sit idle for eight days while the Indians and Red Sox played out the ALCS.

“We didn’t think the eight days off would hurt us,” Carroll said. “Not one of us would admit it did. But, it was tough to play against a team that got hot. The Red Sox were rolling. They did everything against us right. They exposed everything. They took advantage of everything.”

Boston won the Series opener, 13-1, and went on to outscore Colorado, 29-10, in a four-game sweep.

The 34-year-old Evansville, Ind., native was Colorado’s starting second baseman in 2006, batting .300 with 23 doubles. He fell out of the lineup early in 2007, however, and never returned. His at-bats were cut in half and his average dropped to .225.

“I pressed too hard out of the gate, trying to win my job back,” Carroll said. “I was trying to be something I wasn’t and know I’m not. I got into bad habits I couldn’t get over.”

Carroll, who can also play some outfield, said he will bring “three or four” gloves on every trip.

The five-year veteran has not exactly been the scourge of the Grapefruit League so far, batting 2-for-17 (.118). If he appears a little distracted, however, it’s for good reason. His wife gave birth to twins, a girl and a boy, early in spring training.

Carroll’s reputation as a solid defender at a variety of positions makes him a potentially valuable commodity for a team that fell one game short of playing the Rockies in the World Series.

“I know what my role is,” Carroll said. “I don’t know at any given time what I’ll be called on to do — second, short or third. It’s not something I’m scared of. It’s something I take pride in.”