For the last few weeks, a marvelous feeling of tranquility has overtaken me. No, I still don't have a job. No, I haven't found my "center." And no, I haven't paid my ever-growing credit card bill. But what I have discovered is an Indians team that is cruising towards a Central Division title and a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2001. I feel that I am getting a rare glimpse of what it's like to be a Red Sox or Yankees' fan. It is the expectation that your team will win, that your team is going to perform when it matters most, and that a fear of the team self-destructing isn't necessary. In the 2007 regular season at least. It isn't a completely foreign feeling as I recall something similar back in the mid 1990s. However, this is unique.
I still remember Cleveland's last playoff game in 2001. So does my fraying Tribe hat. I vividly recall the sunny fall day in October as I watched the Indians looked utterly hapless against Jamie Moyer at Safeco Field in Seattle. My hat received it's first four stitches that day. The bill came apart from the rim of the hat after I tossed it in frustration after Robby Alomar grounded into a crucial inning-ending double play with the bases loaded. I can't believe we started Chuck Finley in that game. What a mistake! Okay...enough reminiscing.
Since that October day, GM Mark Shapiro dismantled the team and rebuilt it around a core of young players. I witnessed their potential in 2004 when they clawed to within two games of Central-leading Minnesota before losing ten straight games, ceding the AL Central title to the Twins. In 2005, I was so nervous as the Indians rolled through August and early September looking like a playoff team. I couldn't dare trust the Tribe to play with a lead. And sure enough they broke my heart, losing six out of their final seven games and missing the playoffs. With that painful memory still very fresh in my mind, you might understand why I think no lead is safe with this squad.
However, watching last Thursday's afternoon game in Minnesota, I couldn't help but notice how calm I felt. No longer was I comparing the Indians and Tigers schedules. I hardly panicked as we left countless runners on base against Twins pitcher Kevin Slowey. And I started to slowly come to the realization that this team is different. They don't need to be examined closely for fear of finding the cracks. I find myself enjoying the games and the contributions of young players like Asdrubal Cabrera, Franklin Gutierrez, and Rafael Perez.
The last two nights in Chicago provide good reasons for why I am composed. The Indians were on the road playing their 21 and 22 consecutive game without a day off, in U.S. Cellular Field where they tend to struggle. At critical junctures in each game, unsung players made big contributions. With the Indians trailing 2-1 Monday night, minor league call-up Ben Francisco lined a game-tying single into left. Two batters later, Cabrera hammered a two-run go-ahead homer down the left-field line. In a ten minute span, the Indians had taken control of the game. Last night with the Indians seemingly in control at 8-3, Jensen Lewis came on with runners on second and third with one out. It was an opportunity for the Sox to claw back into the game. The rookie right-hander who started the season at Double A Akron struck out the next two batters on six pitches to thwart Chicago's final scoring threat. Performances such as those highlighted above have left me awkwardly calm as the season winds down.
That's not to say that this team doesn't have flaws. Closer Joe Borowski is a heart-attack, waiting to happen, as he continually walks a tightrope in the 9th inning of games as evidenced by his 5.40 ERA. Their platoon at each of the corner outfield positions also leaves something to be desired. While, I can still tell you the remaining schedule for both Detroit and Cleveland and how many games each squad will play against teams with a record above .500, I am starting to believe it won't matter. I won't completely relax until the Tribe clinches but at least for the time being, I am enjoying the Indians September stretch run without the benefit of an oxygen tank. A pleasant change of pace.
Labels: AL Central, AL playoffs, American League, American League Central, Asdrubal Cabrera, Ben Francisco, Cleveland, Cleveland sports, Hunt for October, Indians, October baseball, Tribe
# posted by Nate @ 12:35 PM
