Tribe Watch '13 (Week 25)

Record: 86 - 70

Standing: 2nd in AL Central; current holder of the 2nd Wild Card spot

One week to go. Just six more games. If we can hang on, we will be in the playoffs. We earned this spot after a relatively successful week. While the Tribe only managed to win one against Kansas City, that win was enough to still keep some distance between us and them. Then we did what we needed to do and that was sweep all four games against the American League's worst team, the Houston Astros. That was amazingly our 6th 4-game sweep of the season - a feat that has not been accomplished by any team since 1961. While some of those games were not our finest effort, we managed to get the W nonetheless and that's all that matters. As things stand right now, we hold a 1 game lead over the Texas Rangers for that final wild card spot, while Tampa Bay is one game better than us for the other Wild Card slot. With things that close, we can ill afford any slip ups this week. After having a day off on Monday, the Indians will have to kick it back into high gear with their final series at home, a 2-game set against the Chicago White Sox. We will then finish up on the road as we head to Minnesota for the final four games of the season. Neither team is very good, so let's hope we continue doing what we need to do and that is win these games. It is hard to believe that by this time next week we could be talking playoffs. It doesn't get any more exciting that this, so let's cheer this team into the homestretch. Go Tribe!

Tribe Watch '13 (Week 24)

Record: 81 - 68

Standing: 2nd in AL Central (5 games behind Detroit; 0.5 games out of the Wild Card)

Now things start to get real interesting. Believe or not, the Indians are in a very good position right now to make the postseason. It hasn't always looked that way, but the cards are aligned right now for them to continue playing baseball in October. Part of the reason is because of what we have been doing. While we only managed to win one out of the three against Kansas City, we swept the four game series against the Chicago White Sox and had our offense come to life in the process. The other reason why we are in a good position is because the teams ahead of us, namely the Texas Rangers and the Tampa Bay Rays have been really struggling as of late. Those teams, as well as the other teams in the playoff hunt (the Orioles, Yankees, and Royals) will be dealing with much more difficult schedules in the final two weeks of the season. As long as the Indians win the games that they should win, we could be heading to the postseason. Our final true test begins tonight when we start a three game series in Kansas City against the Royals. While we are 3 games ahead of them, we can ill afford to get swept by them and put them right back into this. If we manage to at least take two of three, then we can help ensure that they are taken out of consideration. After the Royals we come home for our final homestand of the regular series and begin a four game set against the Houston Astros. Even though Houston has the worst record in the American League, they are not just going to lie down and let us win, so we will need to keep our edge and make sure we don't falter against weaker competition. While nothing will get settled this week, it is exciting to think about the fact that we could be in possession of one of the wild card spots by the end of next week. Given that this team is right in the thick of the playoff hunt, I hope the city of Cleveland finally comes out and begins to support this team to show them we appreciate their effort. It's a real exciting time to be an Indians fan and I'm going to love every moment of it. Go Tribe!

Tribe Watch '13 (Week 23)

Record: 76 - 66

Standing: Second in AL Central (5.5 games behind Detroit; 2 games out of Wild Card)

Because of the holiday weekend, I never did a Tribe Watch post last week. However, given the way the Indians had played against Atlanta and Detroit, I really wasn't in the mood to talk about baseball. This week definitely saw some improvement. We managed to take two out of three against Baltimore (of course, the only game we lost was the one I attended) and the New York Mets. Taking two out of three against Baltimore was important because we are battling with them for that second Wild Card spot. I really would have liked to sweep the Mets, but could not managed to get a victory today. While it is just one loss, it was a particularly frustrating one because it featured three themes that when present usually equal to a Tribe loss. #1, when Yan Gomes and Ryan Raburn are not in the lineup, our offense is non-existent. #2, if we have men on base in a clutch situation, it always seems as if Asdrubal Cabrera is up to bat and he will inevitably not come through in the clutch. #3, Chris Perez will give up runs when he is in a non-save situation. Hopefully Terry Francona is picking up on these themes as well and will do something to rectify them as we head into the home stretch. Every game now becomes really important if we want to make the postseason. Our schedule is weak which means we can win a lot of these games. However, there are still a lot of teams capable of making the playoffs so we have to be careful not to lose ground to any of them. That push to the postseason continues this week with a three game series at home with the Kansas City Royals and then onto Chicago this week for a 3 game set with the White Sox. Kansas City won't go away, so beating them will be important to quash their hopes of making the playoffs. The White Sox are horrible and its essential that we sweep them, even if it is in Chicago. It's fun to be able to still be talking Indians baseball in September and have it mean sometime. It can also be nerve racking, but that's part of the fun. Let's root this team on to victory (especially since the Browns seem like they will be awful once again this year). Go Tribe!

Tribe Watch '13 (Week 13)

Record: 44 - 38

Standing: Tied for first place in the AL Central

It was looking initially like it would be another uneventful week. We began by splitting the four game set with the Orioles in which we looked like we could have easily won all four games or lost all four games. Still, splitting against a solid team like Baltimore was positive. The start of the four game series with the White Sox made it seem as if we were in for an ominous weekend. In the first game of a double-header, our starter is unable to get out of the first inning and put the Indians in an early five-run deficit. However, the Tribe finally woke up and managed to clobber Chicago 19-10 in the first game. Then then had a four run 9th inning in the second game that allowed to come back and win that won as well. The Indians then proceed to sweep the entire four games capping it off today with a shutout victory by Justin Masterson. Those first three games against Chicago showed the Indians tenacity. They not only came from behind in each of those games, but they did so when it would have been much easier to just throw in the towel. Friday's double header lasted over seven hours to get those two games in. Between the length of the games and the amount of innings that the bullpen had to throw because of poor starting pitching, it's amazing we came away with any wins. And yet, this team pulled through and had an amazing weekend. To do it against those losers from Chicago made it even sweeter. Perhaps the best news of all to come out of the Tribe's successful weekend is the fact that they have climbed back up into first place, now tied with Detroit, who had a rough week. We're starting to see guys like Nick Swisher get hot again, so it seems like this team isn't about to die like they have the past years. We can improve our standing in the division further this week as we play another pair of divisional opponents. This long road trip finishes up this week as we make a stop in Kansas City to play the Royals for 3 games. Then we head home this weekend for a big series against the Tigers. The outcome of that series could really cement who's the best in this division as we head into the All Star Break. As we head into the 4th of July, let's hope the Indians provide some fireworks of their own. Go Tribe!

Tribe Watch '13 (Week 12)

Record: 38 - 36

Standing: Second in AL Central (4 games behind Detroit)

A rather ho hum week for the Tribe. They managed to take two out of thee from both Kansas City and Minnesota. I certainly can't complain about that. Winning series is the name of the game and if we can keep that up, we'll be in good shape. Right now though, there's not a lot of energy or excitement behind the wins. We're not hitting as well as we could. We're not pitching as well as we could. We're doing just enough to eke out wins. For now that's ok, especially against divisional opponents. The wins against KC certainly helped put some separation between us and them for now. But I'd certainly like to see some more of that magic that we had during our really good stretch a month ago. Right now, I think a few key injuries are preventing that. Those won't last, so hopefully that means we can get that spark back sooner rather than later. In the meantime, let's just keep winnings and you'll find I'll have very little to complain about. Looking ahead to this week, we begin a lengthy road trip that involves playing a pair of 4-game series; first against Baltimore and then against the White Sox. Baltimore is showing that their postseason appearance last year wasn't a fluke. The Indians have not played well thus far against AL East teams, so it would be nice if that would begin to change. As for Chicago, they may have plummeted to the bottom of our division, but that doesn't mean we should take them lightly. I'd love to see us take advantage of their poor play and really beat up on them. If they do, you'll be looking at one very happy Indians fan come next week. Go Tribe!

Tribe Watch '13 (Week 4)

Record: 9-13

Standing: Last in the AL Central (4 games out of 1st place)

We're almost a month into the season and it's still tough to get a real beat on how good this team is. This week was particularly tough to gauge their quality given how few games they played. The Tribe only played 2 out of their 3 games against Chicago due to rain and they managed to split that series. Then after a scheduled off day on Thursday, they were rained out in Kansas City on Friday. To make up that game, a double header was played yesterday. Thus far, the Royal have taken 2 out of the 3 games we've played against them, but this is a four game series that ends tonight, so if the Tribe wins that one, they'll have split with KC as well. A win would give us a 5-4 record on this road trip and if they can play .500 on the road, I'll always be fine with that. Right now, the troubling factors are the team's overall record and their sporadic hitting. Those issues are interconnected as better hitting should lead to more wins. I'm far from pushing the panic button on the season just yet, primarily because there have been so few games with our regular lineup. The injury to Michael Bourn has caused changes in the lineup that have forced guys to bat in spots that they don't normally hit. I think if we can get a healthy roster, we'll be in much better shape. Bourn should be back this week, so let's hope that's the start of something positive. Looking ahead to this week, after finishing up with the Royals tonight, we come home for our first interleague series of the season, playing a two game set with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Tribe will have another off day this Thursday and then play the Minnesota Twins over the weekend. Both of those are winnable series if we play well. Let's hope that the end of April marks the end of bad weather and the start of some great baseball. Go Tribe!

Tribe Watch '13 (Week 3)

Record: 7-10

Standing: 4th in AL Central (3 games out of first)

The Indians got off to rough start last week as they were swept at home by the Boston Red Sox. Credit bad starting pitching, anemic offense and an emotionally motivated opponent as the key reasons why the Indians couldn't do much against Boston. The weekend helped turn things around, however, as the bats came alive on Saturday. The Indians put a 19 spot on the scoreboard against the Astros. Our newest acquisitions, Mark Reynolds, Nick Swisher, and 42 year old Jason Giambi, were all major players in that outpouring of offense. Thankfully Saturday's performance didn't result in an immediate power outage on Sunday as the Indians were able to hit four more home runs in order to win by one and take two out of three from Houston. Hopefully the Tribe can carry that momentum with them as they now continue this road trip by heading into Chicago to take on those nasty White Sox. We played Chicago very well in Cleveland and I'd love to see more of the same to start this week. Cleveland will then finish off their road trip by heading to Kansas City for a weekend series. No matter the month, games against divisional opponents are critical, so it will be vital for the Tribe to have a good week. As the Indians hope to gain ground within the AL Central standings, I'll be cheering them on all the way and I hope you will too. Go Tribe!

Tribe Watch (Week 1)

Record: 3-3

Standing: Tied for second in AL Central

I'm running short on time so this will have to be brief, but I wanted to get this out before today's home opener. As you can expect with a .500 record in their first week, there was a mixed bag of results for the Tribe as they kicked off the 2013 season. I think, however, that looking at the result of the past week, that there is more positive than negative to take away from their performance. First of all, the Tribe went .500 on the road against two teams that many predict will be at the top of the AL East, so there's no shame in that. The wins that the Tribe had were also pretty impressive in that they beat BOTH reigning Cy Young winners within the span of 6 days. The offense was certainly on display in those wins as well with the team showing both power and clutch hitting. We did get shutout two straight games, but it is was understandable because they had a long flight to Tampa and the Rays have very good pitching. As for our pitching, I was pleased by the performances of our #1 and #2 starters. For us to have any chance at competiting this season, both Masterson and Jimenez need to pitch well. The back end of our rotation and our long relievers have some question marks that give me some concern, but nothing too grave just yet. We'll need a larger sample size before we can truly make any determinations. Hopefully the Tribe can feel positive about their efforts and take that good feeling into their performance this week as the Tribe plays at Progressive Field for this first time this year. First up is the dreaded New York Yankees, who are really struggling thus far thanks to injuries and old age. On paper, we should play well against them, but when it comes to the Yankees, they are never as bad as they seem. Then it's a weekend series against the even more loathesome Chicago White Sox. Of course, divisional games are crucial no matter when in the year they occur, so let's get off to a good start by beating up on our rival. There's a lot to be excited about in Cleveland right now, so let's all get behind this team and watch what could be a very magical year. Go Tribe!

Tribe Watch (All Star Break)

Record: 44-41

Standing: 2nd in AL Central (3 games back)

The Indians appeared to be finishing up the first half of the season strong only for things to go awry on the last day. First the good news...the Indians managed to take two out of three from the Angels and then were poised to win the series against Tampa Bay until they coughed up a big lead on Sunday and ended up having to settle for a split. Still, the last three series of this first half featured the Indians playing some of their best baseball. We'll need to continue playing like that if we want to remain in the race for the AL Central title. Speaking of which, despite our improved effort we were unable to make up any ground in the standings as those damn White Sox had been nearly unbeatable for the past couple of weeks. Let's hope to God that they suffer a setback in the second half of the season. But they certainly won't be our only concern because don't look now, but the Tigers are only a half game behind us and 3.5 games back of first place. At this point, it definitely looks like a three team race, but who will take it is anybody's guess.

Looking ahead, there will certainly be some interesting storylines that will play out. One will be what, if any moves, will this team make before the trade deadline. Given our standing, we are certainly in a place to be buyers, but will our cheap owner actually cough up any money to get someone that can significantly help this team down the stretch. Another question is what we can expect from two wild cards who are currently missing in action - Grady Sizermore and the man formerly known as Fausto Carmona. Both could return this season but it remains unclear how much they can really help us if they do return. Lastly, will be if we can get consistent play from our current players. We've seen everyone on this team produce, but so far it's been spotty. We need to find a way to have everyone clicking at the same time and if we do, I like our chances. It should definitely be a fun second half and I'm excited to see it play out. Things get underway this Friday when the Indians head out onto the road and play a weekend series in Toronto. Enjoy the All Star break and Go Tribe!

Tribe Watch (Week 12)

Record: 40-38

Standing: 2nd in AL Central (1.5 games back)

I was almost ready to write this team off for this season after they got swept by the Yankees earlier this week. All facets of our game looked bad, but in particular the offense was non-existent. However, as if often the case in baseball, things turn quickly. The Indians managed to recover by taking 3 out of 4 against the Orioles and had solid hitting in each of the four games. On the roster front, it was another good news/bad news situation. On the positive side, it appears Travis Hafner will rejoin the team on Monday, which could provide a boost to the offense. However, during the Baltimore series young third baseman, Lonnie Chisenhall was hit by a pitch that broke a bone in his arm. After having surgery the report is that he'll be out 10-12 weeks, which pretty much means he won't return this season. Though the Indians are still in second place, they could put themselves in a good position heading into the All Star Break if they manage to play well this week. They return home to play a couple of tough opponents. First up will be the Anaheim Angels. We were fortunate enough to play well against them earlier this season when they were struggling. It'll be interesting to see how we fare against them now that they have had a resurgence. We'll then finish off the first half of the season against the Tampa Bay Rays. They have been bitten by the injury bug all season long, yet have still managed to play well so we can't let our guard down against them. And of course, the trade deadline is still looming, so it should be interesting to see what, if any, changes are made to the roster in the coming days. All of it makes for some exciting baseball that should be fun to watch. Go Tribe!

Tribe Watch (Week 11)

Record: 37-34

Standing: Second in AL Central (0.5 games back)

After getting swept the week prior in Cincinnati, the Indians gained a measure of revenge this past week by sweeping the Reds in Cleveland. That proved to be the high point for the week as we not only had won 3 games in a row, but also climbed back up into first place. Sadly, things went downhill from there as they lost the last two out of a three game series against the Houston Astros and fell back into second place. The Houston series was particularly frustrating as the bats went dormant once again against a less than stellar pitching rotatation. In addition, we saw a recurring problem from both Jeanmar Gomez and Derek Lowe. Both pitchers pitched well early on, but got hit bad as they went through the lineup the second and third time. Given that Lowe's a veteran, we can hope that he'll be able to recover from this. As for Gomez, it seems as if he needs to be either sent back to the minors or converted into a long man in the bullpen. In other disappointing news, it was announced yesterday that the longtime Boston Red Sox slugger Kevin Youkilis had been traded to the Chicago White Sox. While I do not necessarily think the Indians needed to get him, the absolute LAST place I wanted him to wind up was in Chicago. If he provides them with any sort of offensive productivity, it could be really harmful to our chances at competing with them for the AL Central title. Despite that, we shouldn't dwell on the negative. Remaining positive will be key as the Indians continue their 10-game road trip with visits to New York for a three game series against the Yankees and then a four game series beginning on Thursday in Baltimore against the Orioles. Those two teams currently sit in first and second place respectively in the AL East. We cannot afford to lose much ground heading into the midway point of the season, so this could be a make it or break it week for the tribe. Now that the NBA season is over and the people of Cleveland can stop dwelling on Lebron, our focus should be on the Indians and rooting them on to victory. Go Tribe!

Tribe Watch (Week 10)

Record: 33-32

Standing: Second in AL Central (1.5 games back)

This has been a pretty dismal week for the Tribe as the only managed to get one victory. The week began with a rough time in Cincinnati as the Reds swept us. Then we returned home and only got one win against the Pirates. Once again, pitching problems plagued this time. Both Cincinnati and Pittsburg seemed to hit off our pitchers at will. While our hitters could be doing more, this team will live and die by our pitching, so they need to start getting their act together if we have any hopes of contending. If there's a silver lining after such a pathetic performance, it's that the White Sox played just as poorly and thus we did not really lose any ground in the standings. We can't expect that to always happen, so we need to start winning again. We'll get a chance for some revenge against the Reds this week as they come to Cleveland for a three game set. Then we head back out onto the road this weekend for a set against the Houston Astros, a team that isn't very good. Capitalizing on weaker competition will be important. Plus it'll give us an opportunity to do some advanced scouting since Houston will become a part of the American League next year. As interleague play wraps up, I'll be watching to see if we can end this stretch of games on a positive note. Go Tribe!

Tribe Watch (Week 9)

Record: 32-27

Standing: 2nd in AL Central (0.5 games back)

While far from a great week, there was definitely an improved effort from this team in comparison to how they had played the week before. The Indians managed to score two series victories, taking two of out three from both the Tigers and the Cardinals. Both of those teams, while struggling, are solid opponents so it was nice to come away with wins against both of them. Most notably the pitching was much better this week. Ubaldo Jimenez had two quality starts in a row, which is positve to see. Sadly, the guy who probably had the best pitching performance, Justin Masterson, came away with a loss on Saturday due to the Tribe getting shut out for the first time this season. Of course, I would love to see the Indians continue to improve on offense. Now that we're in the middle of interleague play, it means we'll be playing several games without the luxury of a DH, so each of our positional players need to pick up the slack when it comes to the bat. Michael Brantley and Jason Kipnis (who hit the game-winning 3 run home run today) have been great at the plate, but guys like Carlos Santana really need to start having more quality at-bats so that we're not constantly leaving guys on base. Speaking of interleague play, it continues to roll on this week as the Indians will head to Cincinnati to play their cross-state rivals the Reds for 3 games. Then it's finally back home to take on the Pittsburg Pirates in a three game set. Teams that do well during interleague play typically find their way into the post-season, so let's hope the Indians can continue their winnings ways against these National League teams. Go Tribe!

Tribe Watch (Week 8)

Record: 28-25

Standing: Second in AL Central

The Indians' performance this week did nothing to really motivate me to do this write up, but here I am anyways. This week the Tribe saw themselves fall out of first place, partially because those nasty Chicago White Sox are red hot and partially because we only managed to win two out of six games against Kansas City and Minnesota - a pair of divisional opponents that we need to beat. While our offense continues to struggle due to some key injuries, the bigger issue was the pitching. A staff that looked dominant against the Tigers has really faltered the past three series. If we want any chance of competing in this division, both our starters and middle relievers need to step up their game. We have another off day tomorrow and then head out onto the road for a lengthy trip. It will begin on Tuesday with a stint in Detroit. This weekend interleague play will resume as we square off against the Cardinals. At this point we can't afford to lose any more ground in the standings so we'll need to play competitive against this pair of decent teams. June has not been a good month in recent history for the Tribe, so let's change that up this year. Since the Indians won't be playing many home games this month, everyone needs to do their part in rooting on this team from their living room. Hopefully if we send good vibes their way, they can regain their winning ways. Go Tribe!

Tribe Watch (Week 7)

Record: 26-21

Standing: First in AL Central

This week shows you how difficult it can be to a baseball fan. The Indians begin the week on top of the world by sweeping our rivals, the Detroit Tigers in close, exciting, and competitive games. The fact that the sweep culminated in beating Justin Verlander, who may be the best pitcher in baseball today was about as awesome it gets. And then we get to the weekend where everything that could go wrong, did. Frankly I could use one of those Men in Black neuralizers to forget it even existed. We ended up getting swept by those classless, vile (and many other words I can't use here) Chicago White Sox. Our pitching looked pathetic in all three games. To show you the disparity between the two series, our pitching staff gave up 6 runs total against Detroit and 31 to Chicago. And what's even more troubling is the number of Indians who are now currently hurt. Asdrubal Cabrera, Carlos Santana, Travis Hafner, Jack Hanahan, and Lou Marson are just some of the names who had to sit out games because of injuries. Let's keep our fingers crossed that most of the injuries are minor and they can return to the lineup sooner rather than later. Otherwise, we may be seeing a complete repeat of next year. The Indians first opportunity to erase the nightmare of this weekend comes tomorrow when they begin a three game set against the Royals. We'll then wrap up the week with a series against Minnesota this weekend. Both of these teams are bringing up the rear of the AL Central, so let's hope they remain our whipping boys and we can start extending our lead in the AL Central again. If we can get back to the way we played against Detroit, it should be a fun season. If we continue to play like we did against Chicago, well...let's not even think about that. Go Tribe!

Tribe Watch (Week 6)

Record: 23-18

Standing: First in AL Central

Closer Chris Perez gained some press yesterday by chastising the Cleveland fans for not supporting this team more and he has a point. Despite a loss today, this team won 5 out of 7 games this week and remain in first place by three games. However, I'm not going to be too hard on the fans since the Indians do having a losing record at home (we've been tremendous on the road for some reason) and I still don't think the team has played as well as it could be playing. The frustrating thing is that we're not seeing multiple guys get hot at the same time. It seems like one person each game has a breakout performance while everyone else struggles. If we can be more consistent, who knows how far this team can go. As happy as I am with their success this week, I know that this upcoming week is going to be a major swing week. We get an off day tomorrow and then play the two teams right behind us in the standings - a three game set against Detroit at home and then a 3 game series in Chicago against the White Sox. If we play well this week, we could give ourselves some real distance in the standings heading into June. If we struggle, we could easily see ourselves out of first place by next Sunday. For now though, let's listen to Chris Perez and support this team. Let's show them that this truly is Believe-land and that we love our Indians. Go Tribe!

Tribe Watch (Week 5)

Record: 18-16

Standing: First in AL Central

It was a week that kept looking like it was going to turn out better than it actually did. We began with a great sweep of a doubleheader against Chicago on Monday and then proceeded to lose the next two games to them. Then we started our series against the Red Sox by beating them up, only to see us lose the next three games to them. Up until this week most of the losses we've had, were close, competitive games. This week, however, we had games where all parts of our team faltered. Pitching and clutch hitting need to improve. In terms of roster moves, that too produced a mixed bag. Starter Josh Tomlin went on the DL with a sore wrist, but we finally got rid of some dead weight in the bullpen by designating Dan Wheeler for assignment. Looking ahead to this week, we begin with a short series in Minnesota against a Twins team that has just been awful so far this year. They may just be the perfect team to face to help us get our confidence back and in a good groove. It's then back home to place the Mariners, which is another team that is not very good. Finally we head into the weekend to begin interleague play against (ugh) Ozzie Guillen and the new look Miami Marlins. Here's hoping this will be a good rebound week so that we can maintain our hold on first place in the division. And as always, I'll be there watching each game and rooting my team on. Go Tribe!

Tribe Watch (Week 4)

Record: 15 - 11

Standing: First in AL Central

A very positive and successful week for the Tribe. It was a week that I was fearful of given our opponents, but the Indians managed to take 2 out of three from both the White Sox and the Rangers. Our pitching was strong, particularly the bullpen, and our offense came up with some timely hitting. Beating Chicago was important to give ourselves some distance from them in the standings and playing well against Texas may have been an even bigger deal as it gives us the confidence that we can play against them if we were to meet up in the playoffs. This week also saw the debut of Johnny Damon, who still needs to shake some rust off but managed to already contribute a few hits. Right now though the man of the hour is Jason Kipnis who is got an impressive hitting streak going on and came up with a big home run in today's win. We'll need these young guys to really produce if we want to be competitive throughout this season. While the Tribe can be pleased with their performance against Texas, they can't take it easy as they'll have another tough week beginning with another series against Chicago (this one is at home, but included a doubleheader on Monday) and then heading to Boston to play the Red Sox this upcoming weekend. While neither team has played particularly well yet this season, both of those teams can give the Indians problems so we'll need to stay aggressive and make sure we keep on winning. It's fun time to be an Indians fan. Go Tribe!

Tribe Watch (Week 3)

Record: 11 - 9

Standing: First in AL Central

While far from perfect, I'd have to say that this was a net positive week. While we only managed to go 3-3 on this homestand, things could have been a whole lot worse. The offense still continues to scuffle, but we kept finding ways to score runs. More importantly, almost every started had a good outing this week, which meant we were competitive in every game even if we ultimately lost it. There were two key factors working against our offense this week. The weather in Cleveland was miserable so there weren't a lot of balls flying off the bats. And we were without Shin Soo Choo, who was dealing with a hamstring issue. Both of those problems will hopefully be eliminated this week and this team can start producing more runs. Perhaps more important of all is that fact that while we only played .500 ball, we managed to move into first place thanks to the struggles of the Detroit and Chicago. Speaking of those nasty White Sox, we begin a three game set with them on Tuesday, followed by a trip right back home to face off against the Rangers next week. This likely won't be an easy week since stupid Chicago always plays us tough and the Rangers looks to be heads and tails above everyone else in the American League. We'll need all facets of our game playing at top quality if we want to stay atop the AL Central. I likely won't have any nails by the time the week is over, but that's ok because I love watching my Indians. Go Tribe!

Tribe Watch (Week 1)

Record: 4 - 4

Standing: 3rd in the AL Central

I didn't do a Tribe Watch post last Sunday for a couple of reasons...I was busy prepping for my dissertation defense and they were only 3 games into the season, so there wasn't much to discuss yet. Now 8 games into the season we can begin to pick apart this team's performance and the end result is a mixed bag which is indicative in their .500 record. The first four games things looked pretty bad. We begun the season with two long extra inning games that ended in defeat. No matter how good of a team you are, those type of games will sting. After picking up our first win last Sunday, we continued to look flat in our two losses against the nasty Chicago White Sox. I thought the loss of guys like Ozzie Guillen and Mark Buerhle would soften my stance against them, but it hasn't. I still hate that team with a passion. In those first two series our pitching was pretty good, especially the starters, but our offense looked completely anemic. It really made me think we were in for a long season. That turned around though this weekend with our visit to Kansas City. The Indians' offense exploded and put up the most runs in a three game series since 2000! Seeing the Tribe hit like they did against the Royals has buoyed my spirits some, but I'm going to need to see a larger sample size before I'm convinced. The Tribe will get that opportunity to see if the offense can stay red hot starting on Tuesday. After an off day tomorrow, the Indians will begin a six game West Coast trip that will see us play the Mariners and then Oakland. Both of those teams are playing around .500 ball as well, so these should be competitive matchups. When it comes to baseball, the phrase 'hope springs eternal' is certainly true. It's exciting time for baseball fans and my hope remains high for now as I continue to root on my Indians and see if this year can finally be their year.