Yes, I’ll admit I was getting nervous Monday night with the Indians trailing the Tigers 5-1 in the fourth inning. It appeared Detroit would win the series opener and close to within 3-1/2 games of the Tribe. I wasn’t feeling any better when the ballclub entered the bottom of the eighth still losing 5-2. But, Jhonny Peralta, who hadn’t homered since mid August until he hit one earlier in the game, went with a Joel Zumaya fastball and hit it into the Tiger bullpen to tie the game. Suddenly, hope and confidence returned to this fan.
Casey Blake hit his second walk off dinger of the homestand to drive a large nail into Detroit coffin. It was fitting that these two, Peralta and Blake, the fans’ whipping boys, were the heroes of perhaps the biggest win of the this season. Last night, the undertakers from Cleveland put another spike in the Tigers, hitting four home runs against their ace, Justin Verlander, to win again 7-4, and open up the division lead to 6-1/2 games with just 11 to play. Plus, today the Kitties get to face the Tribe ace, C.C. Sabathia in an attempt to salvage one game in the series.
Breathe easier, Cleveland. The Indians are going to the playoffs for the first time since 2001. Sabathia and Kenny Lofton were on that team, but the key members of the Tribe will be experiencing post season baseball for the first time. Perhaps the entire country can now witness what good players Grady Sizemore, Victor Martinez, and Travis Hafner are. The nation will get to see Fausto Carmona and the two Raffy’s in the bullpen. Many baseball fans around the country think there are no teams west of Boston and New York because of the networks’ constant coverage of the Yankees and Red Sox.
No one knows what the future holds, but these Indians are set up very well for the future. Among the everyday line up, only Lofton, Blake, and Hafner are over 30 years old, and I’m sure the Tribe viewed Lofton as a stretch drive pick up only. The ballclub has plenty of options for LF next year, including David Dellucci, Ben Francisco, Jason Michaels, and rookie Jordan Brown, the Eastern League MVP this season. Brown is intriguing since he hit .333 at Akron and walked more than he struck out, and will turn 24 this winter. A contact hitter is just what this offense needs, and he will probably develop more power as he gets older.
Blake has had a very good year moving over to 3B from his RF platoon role at the start of the season. However, it is up for discussion whether or not he will have a regular spot in the lineup next year. At third, the ballclub still has to decide what to do with Marte, and if Asdrubal Cabrera moves to SS, will Peralta move to the hot corner. As for Hafner, he hasn’t had the same type of season as he had the past three seasons, but I think it’s just a down year and he will bounce back in 2008.
On the mound, the only age among the key pitchers is Paul Byrd and Joe Borowski. Byrd has an option for $8 million next year, and although this might sound like heresy, I would decline that option. Byrd’s history shows he is an up and down guy, meaning a good season is followed by a not so good one. Borowski can’t be expected to have this type of year in ’08, and he is on a one year contract.
We quite possibly will see a celebration at Jacobs Field this weekend. Enjoy it. Also, remember that another 41 year walk in the desert did not occur. The Tribe is back in the playoffs. Please Cleveland, give these Indians the respect they deserve as great players and winners. That goes for Eric Wedge too.
MW