Friday, April 07, 2006
Indians In Swing
Kyle Lohse's fastball hung for a moment in the cold Cleveland air. In the next, it was going and gone--and in grand fashion. Casey Blake rounded first wearing his usual poker face, then flashed the faintest of smiles.
Why not?
How appropriate that Blake enjoy the showers of applause after connecting on a game-sealing grand slam. It was Blake, after all, who was showered with boos for taking far too many called third strikes in the final moments of the Indians ill-fated playoff push of 2005.
Grand slam and all, Friday's 11-6 win over the Twins was more than just a satisfying home-opener; it was an eye-opener.
In the first week of the 2006 season, the Indians have proven their worth. After pounding out 17 hits on Minnesota Friday, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said, "they can kill the ball." The instinctive reaction may be to wonder where, exactly, Gardy was during the Tribe's 93 wins last year. But then you remember that he must have watched that fateful final week, when Dexys Midnight Runners officially had more hits than Indians' batters.
But come on, Eileen (sorry)... lamenting over that last week of losing is so 2005.
Welcome to 2006.
The Indians might have the best team in the A.L. Central, in case you haven't noticed (and judging by Saturday's crowd of 25,107, you haven't). I know, I know. Weren't you the same guy who blogged about how Chicago still looked better after the Tribe took two of the first three games this season?
Funny how a day can change a mind.
Ozzie Guillen called Grady Sizemore the division's most exciting player. Not only is that high praise from the manager of the defending champion White Sox, it might be the truth. Any doubters must have missed Friday's 11-6 win over the Twins. Grady collected three hits, scored two runs, and scaled one 19-foot wall in left to rob Justin Morneau of extra bases.
On any day, Sizemore's day was worthy of the headline; Friday, it was a footnote, next to Blake's grand slam and Travis Hafner's two home runs. That's the kind of offensive production Indians fans came to expect out of the 1995 team with the modern day murderer's row.
It's also the kind of performance Tribe fans have grumbled about losing out on since rebuilding began in 2002. Some are coming around. Some still remain skeptical; they're busy crying about Jim Thome leaving town because Larry Dolan would not pony up enough cash to keep him. Unfortunately, two Thome home runs to start the season won't help shut them up.
But you'd think Travis Hafner's four first-week home runs would. Or the bundle of money Dolan laid at the feet of Hafner, Sizemore, Jhonny Peralta, C.C. Sabathia and Victor Martinez in long term deals.
Think about it: if the Indians signed the best offensive catcher in baseball to a bigtime contract it would all but prompt a parade down Euclid. But when it happened (in Victor's case), it barely registered a golfer's clap around Cleveland.
Instead, any excitement was flushed out by fuss over trading Coco Crisp (spare me) and C.C. Sabathia's weight (OK, that's a legitimate concern).
Complaining is for fans from Philadelphia or Boston; Cleveland, you're better than that, aren't you?
It's time to forget about the final-week flop of 2005. Clearly, the Indians have.
Cleveland, we want you to Sound Off on the local sports scene. E-mail us at 5sports@newsnet5.com with your questions, concerns, and comments. We'll address them each Sunday night, on the Toyota Sports Sunday at 11:32 PM.
Why not?How appropriate that Blake enjoy the showers of applause after connecting on a game-sealing grand slam. It was Blake, after all, who was showered with boos for taking far too many called third strikes in the final moments of the Indians ill-fated playoff push of 2005.
Grand slam and all, Friday's 11-6 win over the Twins was more than just a satisfying home-opener; it was an eye-opener.
In the first week of the 2006 season, the Indians have proven their worth. After pounding out 17 hits on Minnesota Friday, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said, "they can kill the ball." The instinctive reaction may be to wonder where, exactly, Gardy was during the Tribe's 93 wins last year. But then you remember that he must have watched that fateful final week, when Dexys Midnight Runners officially had more hits than Indians' batters.
But come on, Eileen (sorry)... lamenting over that last week of losing is so 2005.
Welcome to 2006.
The Indians might have the best team in the A.L. Central, in case you haven't noticed (and judging by Saturday's crowd of 25,107, you haven't). I know, I know. Weren't you the same guy who blogged about how Chicago still looked better after the Tribe took two of the first three games this season?
Funny how a day can change a mind.
Ozzie Guillen called Grady Sizemore the division's most exciting player. Not only is that high praise from the manager of the defending champion White Sox, it might be the truth. Any doubters must have missed Friday's 11-6 win over the Twins. Grady collected three hits, scored two runs, and scaled one 19-foot wall in left to rob Justin Morneau of extra bases.
On any day, Sizemore's day was worthy of the headline; Friday, it was a footnote, next to Blake's grand slam and Travis Hafner's two home runs. That's the kind of offensive production Indians fans came to expect out of the 1995 team with the modern day murderer's row.
It's also the kind of performance Tribe fans have grumbled about losing out on since rebuilding began in 2002. Some are coming around. Some still remain skeptical; they're busy crying about Jim Thome leaving town because Larry Dolan would not pony up enough cash to keep him. Unfortunately, two Thome home runs to start the season won't help shut them up.
But you'd think Travis Hafner's four first-week home runs would. Or the bundle of money Dolan laid at the feet of Hafner, Sizemore, Jhonny Peralta, C.C. Sabathia and Victor Martinez in long term deals.
Think about it: if the Indians signed the best offensive catcher in baseball to a bigtime contract it would all but prompt a parade down Euclid. But when it happened (in Victor's case), it barely registered a golfer's clap around Cleveland.
Instead, any excitement was flushed out by fuss over trading Coco Crisp (spare me) and C.C. Sabathia's weight (OK, that's a legitimate concern).
Complaining is for fans from Philadelphia or Boston; Cleveland, you're better than that, aren't you?
It's time to forget about the final-week flop of 2005. Clearly, the Indians have.
Cleveland, we want you to Sound Off on the local sports scene. E-mail us at 5sports@newsnet5.com with your questions, concerns, and comments. We'll address them each Sunday night, on the Toyota Sports Sunday at 11:32 PM.
Posted at 6:59 PM
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