Cleveland Indians: 5 Reasons the Tribe Will Play in October
Of all the books, magazines, newspaper articles and television interviews that baseball fans scoured through before the season started, not one picked the Cleveland Indians to be a contender. At the very best, most picked Cleveland to be competitive enough so that they could garner decent deals in return for stars Fausto Carmona and Grady Sizemore.
As it turns out, predictions mean nothing once they start playing the games. After being shelled in their first two games against Chicago, the Indians went 19-6 over the rest of April en route to one of the best records in baseball. Currently, Cleveland sits at 25-13 and holds a 4.5 lead over the Detroit Tigers.
The million-dollar question, however, is whether or not the streaking Indians can continue their tear over the long term. Here are five reasons why Cleveland fans should clear their calendars for early October and start saving for those playoff tickets.
5. Defense
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In football, they say defense wins championships. It doesn't hurt in baseball, either. Cleveland's defense has been nothing short of spectacular in the early part of the season. The Indians currently rank third in the major leagues in overall defense, with a .989 fielding percentage. They also rank third overall in errors, with only 16 total errors.
Much of this can be chalked up to the chemistry of the infield in the early goings, where Orlando Cabrera has provided veteran leadership and Jack Hannahan has filled in at third base quite nicely. The outfield has combined for just two combined errors as well.
Solid fielding isn't an overwhelming measurement for success, but good, fundamental defense will help make the lives of the pitching staff easier and keep innings moving nicely for Cleveland.
4. Potent Offense
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On the surface, the early season struggles of Shin-Soo Choo and Carlos Santana are no reason to celebrate. However, when looking at the big picture, the Indians are currently ranked fifth in batting average (.264) and eighth in runs scored (181).
The rest of the roster is picking up the slack, removing some of the stress from their struggling teammates to find their stride. That is the mark of good teams, where depth and timely performances help mask problems.
The resurgence of designated hitter Travis Hafner and the clutch performances of Asdrubal Cabrera and Orlando Cabrera have helped bury the troubles of Choo and Santana. The silver lining is that if the pair is able to find its stride over the course of the season, it will only add to the potency of the Cleveland offense.
3. Game Management
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When Cleveland fired manager Eric Wedge in September 2009, a laundry list of candidates was run through the media circles. However, many of the big names like Mike Hargrove and Bobby Valentine were passed over for former Washington Nationals skipper Manny Acta.
Groans could be heard throughout the Greater Cleveland area after the decision was made, but after the All-Star break, Acta started to gain followers as the Indians rebounded to go 35-39 after the break to finish 69-93. It was little solace to most fans, but the chemistry and success of the team late in the season was hard to deny.
That chemistry and Acta's commitment to "small ball" has made him, at the very least, acceptable as manager to most fans. The Indians are playing National League baseball (bunting, line drive hitting, etc) in an American League town, and doing so very well. His players love to play for him and he has been able to win close games, which has made fans forget the Eric Wedge era more with each day. If the success is to continue, much of it will be due to the vision and team building of Acta.
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2. Starting Pitching
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If you went up to fans on the street and told them in February that Josh Tomlin and Alex White would be huge factors in the Cleveland rotation in May, they would either laugh at you or begin to cry.
Fortunately for the Indians, the rotation as a whole has been solid in the early months. Of the 36 games played so far this season, Cleveland starters have had 27 quality starts (6.0 IP, three or less runs earned). Leading the rotation is Boston castoff Justin Masterson (5-1, 2.73), who has found his control and the break on his slider in the early goings.
Tomlin (4-1, 2.70) has also contributed in a big way, and White (2-1, 3.75) has performed admirably early in his Major League career. The performances of Masterson and White have taken focus off the periodic struggles of Fausto Carmona (3-3, 3.94) and the injuries of Carlos Carrasco and Mitch Talbot. If the starting pitching continues to make the life of the bullpen easy, the Indians will be contending for much of the season.
1. Late-Inning Magic
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If the Indians make the playoffs this season, the biggest reason will be their ability to win in close games, something they were notorious for failing to do under Eric Wedge.
At one point this season, Cleveland won five straight home games in their last at-bat, a stat that should remind most fans of the Indians of the mid-'90s. Carlos Santana and Travis Hafner have walk-off homers for the Indians, and Orlando Cabrera has contributed on more than one occasion in the late innings with clutch hitting.
During the run of the '90s, the hallmark of those teams were the walk-off victories. In 2007, when the Indians made that deep playoff run, their hallmark was walk-off victories and exciting comebacks. In 2011, a playoff run is most likely going to be characterized by wins and losses in close games. If the magic continues at Progressive Field, it certainly will be a familiar (and welcome) situation for Cleveland fans.
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