Tribe Watch '13 (All Star Break)

Record: 51 - 44

Standing: Second in AL Central (1.5 games behind Detroit)

Over the weekend, the Indians TV announcers mentioned how manager Terry Francona spoke with the team and promoted the idea of finishing strong to close out the first half of the season. It appears that the Tribe took those words to heart as they took two out of three from Toronto and then swept the Kansas City Royals. Now as the team takes off for a few days before transitioning into the second half, we can examine where they currently stand. I think the best way to define my feelings is cautiously optimistic. The Indians have a better record than they did at this point last year and are relatively healthy. The weak schedule in the second half also works in their favor. But before we can pencil this team into a postseason slot, there are a few things that should be addressed. First of all, while our overall record is good, we have played terribly against Detroit, Boston, and New York. Two of those three teams are in first place in their respective divisions. For this team to be seen as legitimate contenders, we need to play better against good teams. There's also a couple players who need to do more offensively. Mark Reynolds in particular has been trending downward when it comes to hitting. We need him to play better to shore up our lineup. And of course, we could always use more pitching. The starters, which not great, have performed admirably and should be improved when Zach McAllister returns. The bullpen. however, seems like it could use some additions. Hopefully as the trade deadline nears some moves can be made to address these issues. For now, let's enjoy the time off and get ready to come out fighting come Friday when we begin a weekend series with the Twins in Minnesota. I'm looking forward to wild and fun second half. Go Tribe!