Tribe Watch '13 (Week 5)

Record: 14 - 14

Standing: 3rd in AL Central (Four games out of first place)

Last week went about as well as you could hope for with a baseball team. The Indians rattled off six wins in a row before losing a close game to the Twins on Sunday. Those wins came in all forms; they won big, they won close, and they were clicking on all facets of the game. Their performance last week showed what this team is capable of. And the scary thing is that they did so without being at full strength as Michael Bourn remains out with his finger injury and Nick Swisher sat a few games with a sore shoulder. When the Indians are at 100%, this could be a competitive team with the best in the AL. However, one week is not a large enough sample size to convince me they can do this on a consistent battle. The good news, or bad news depending on how you look at it is that they'll get a chance to really prove themselves this week as they face a couple of very good teams. First, they'll play a four game set at home against the Oakland A's, who surprised everyone last year and have continued to play good baseball to start this season. Then they'll head out onto the road to play the Detroit Tigers, who currently lead the AL Central and have been just as hot as the Indians recently. Playing good baseball against those two teams will go a long way to convincing everyone that these guys are for real. Of course, pitching remains key. Last week our starters had solid starts and we'll need for that to continue or else we could be in store for a very painful week. The uncertainty makes for some very exciting baseball and I can't wait to watch it all. 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 (Week 2)

Record: 5-6

Standing: 3rd in AL Central (1.5 games out of 1st place)

Similar to week 1, the second week of the season saw a mixed bag of results for the Tribe. Things looked pretty bleak early on in the week as the Yankees dominated us for the first two games of the series. Mother Nature thankfully cut that attack short by raining out the remaining two games of that series. We can now look forward to a doubleheader in May against New York to make up those games. The back end of the week was more promising as we took two out of three from our rivals the White Sox. Justin Masterson showed true ace material in his complete game shutout win on Friday and the bats came to life in Saturday's game. Though they lost on Sunday, the team has to feel positive by an improved performance by Brett Myers. Starting pitching is going to be so critical for this team. If they falter, things fall apart. When the pitching is strong, we have a very good chance of winning each of those games. As we head into this third week, the Indians will begin with an emotional series against the Boston Red Sox. Not only will it be the first time that Terry Francona manages against his old team, but the tragic events of yesterday will still be weighing heavily on everyone's mind. After the Boston series, the Indians will head out onto the road for a lengthy trip that begins with a weekend series against the Houston Astros who more closely resemble a AAA team than they do a major league team. Hopefully we can dominate them to help improve our standing in the division. One final note is with regard to injuries. Every team is suffering from them and the Indians are no different. The catcher position seems to be particularly plagued with both Carlos Santana and Lou Marson ailing. The Tribe actually had to make a minor league trade earlier this week just to gain some additional emergency backups. Center fielder Michael Bourn will also miss some time thanks to a finger laceration he received in Sunday's game. Thankfully most of the team's injuries are minor, so we can just hope for a speedy recovery so that our team can get back to playing at full strength. No matter who's out on the field, though, I'll always be ready to support my team. Go Tribe!

My faith has been re-Bourn

Despite the fact that the Cleveland Indians' pitchers and catchers already reported to Spring Training, it appears that the Tribe isn't finished making off-season moves. And this latest one is a doozy as they have signed free-agent All Star center fielder, Michael Bourn. This is a deal that in past years the Indians would never have made, so I'm thrilled to see them be so aggressive. They also signed Jason Giambi and Dice-K to minor league deals. While both of those guys are nowhere near as good as they once were, if we can get anything out of them, it's another plus for this team. For more on the Bourn signing, here's the report from SI.com:

Criticized for not spending enough on free agents in recent years, the Indians splurged on another star.

The club agreed to terms Monday with outfielder Michael Bourn on a four-year, $48 million contract. It's the second major deal this winter for the Indians, who signed free agent Nick Swisher to a four-year, $56 million contract in January.

Bourn, who was an All-Star with Atlanta last season, must pass a physical later this week in Goodyear, Ariz., before the deal can be completed. Bourn batted .274 with nine homers, 57 RBIs and 42 steals last season for the Braves. It's not yet known when Bourn will have his medical exam.

As long as there isn't a hang-up, the 30-year-old Bourn, who has remained on the market all winter, will move into the Indians' starting lineup. The speedster played center field last season and would give an immediate boost to a Cleveland team that has reloaded with the acquisition of Swisher, manager Terry Francona and starter Brett Myers. Fox Sports first reported Bourn's deal.

Bourn, a two-time All-Star, Gold Glove winner and three-time steals leader in the NL, had also been pursued by the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs.

Getting Bourn will cost the Indians picks in June's amateur draft. But it's a small price for a player who will help them score more runs, improve their attendance - Cleveland averaged just 19,797 fans at home - and maybe even close the gap on Detroit in the AL Central.

The surprise signing caught one of Bourn's new teammates off guard. "Did we just sign Michael Bourn?" second baseman Jason Kipnis asked on his Twitter page.

Bourn, a .272 career hitter in seven seasons with Philadelphia, Houston and Atlanta, could wind up in a starting outfield alongside Swisher and Michael Brantley. The Indians also acquired center fielder Drew Stubbs in a trade with Cincinnati, giving Francona options and depth. It's possible Swisher could be moved to first or even be used as the club's designated hitter. Mark Reynolds, also signed during the offseason, can play first or DH.

The deal for Bourn also comes after the Indians signed slugger Jason Giambi and pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka to minor league deals this last weekend. Matsuzaka must still pass a physical with the club.

The Indians collapsed in the second half last season, finishing 68-94 and 20 games behind the first-place Tigers. Manager Manny Acta was fired after Cleveland lost at least 90 games for the third time in four seasons.

But beginning with the hiring of Francona, the Indians have shown they're not going to sit around and wait for things to improve.