Feel-Good Stories from a Not-So-Good Tribe Season

Now that the Indians' every-other-year funk is out of the way, a few upbeat notes from an otherwise disappointing season:

Cliff Lee. Duh.

Kelly Shoppach. Talk about taking advantage of an opportunity. The guy proved that he's an every-day big league catcher. Anybody notice that his 21 homers was tops among A.L. catchers? One of the best acquisitions the Indians have made this decade.

Jamey Carroll. Don't look now, but Carroll (left) had a better batting average than Grady Sizemore or Ben Francisco. Again, he took advantage of an opportunity (when Asdrubal Cabrera fizzled early and Josh Barfield went down with an injury) and made the most of it. Whodathunkit?

Shin-Soo Choo. Quietly the best hitter on the team down the stretch. In fact, in just over half a season, he had 14 homers, 66 RBI and 68 runs scored to go along with a team-best .309 batting average. Should come into 2009 with a starting outfield spot all sewn up.

Jhonny Peralta. I wasn't exactly in his camp early in the season, but he settled down and put up some solid numbers (like Carroll, posting a better batting average than Sizemore). I'm not a big fan of his at short -- I happen to think that his growth spurt a few years ago hindered his quickness and mobility -- and hope that he meant what he said this week when he told reporters he'd be willing to consider a move to third base if that's what's best for the team. Good for him. He would instantly become a solid presence at the hot corner, both defensively and offensively.

Grady Sizemore. I'm torn on this one, because his batting average took a disconcerting drop, but he still managed to put up big numbers for an average team. A career-best 33 homers, with 90 RBI and 38 stolen bases. Excellent defense, tremendous hustle. Cornerstone of the team.

Jensen Lewis. Hey, he produced as the closer when asked to do so. After the nail-biting adventures of Joe Borowski and company all season, Lewis got the job done, with 13 saves and a 3.82 ERA. Don't know if he'll be there next year, but the team could do worse, as we all know.

Scott Lewis. OK, call it beginner's luck. But he pitched like a seasoned veteran at the end of the season. In fact, he was as good or better than Cliff Lee in his late-season starts. Maybe it was a flash-in-the-pan thing, I don't know. But it was fun to watch, after a year of disappointments.

Casey Blake and CC Sabathia. Both good guys, who left fond memories behind, and now are in the N.L. playoffs. Good for them, and give Mark Shapiro credit for sending them places where they had a chance to taste the postseason. I hope they meet in the N.L. Championship Series, and may the best man win from there.

Finally, does anyone remember Jorge Velandia? It was that kind of season in 2008....

Outdoorsman? For a Day, Anyway...

I've never been much of an outdoorsman, and I'm aware that I've been missing out. Wasn't raised around fishing, or hunting, or boating, or skiing, and really haven't picked up on it in my adult life.

But for one day, at least, I got a taste of it. Part of the reason I haven't posted here for more than a week is that my wife and I had the chance to get away to Lake Mohawk, outside of Malvern, Ohio, about a half hour south of where we live. A friend was gracious enough to let us use his place on the lake, and we had a great time. Lake Mohawk is a man-made lake and residential community, with a par-3 golf course and several beaches built around the lake.

On one of the days, our three kids came to visit for the afternoon, and we took our friend's pontoon boat out on the lake. The kids rode the inner tube while I sat at the controls, and we had a great time. The kids had a blast on the water, and it was just a relaxing but fun way to spend the day. We grilled steaks and generally had a ball. And we were one of literally hundreds of families doing the same thing across the expanse of the lake community. The beauty of the scenery was matched only by the picture-perfect weather we were able to enjoy. What a serene, relaxing environment. We really couldn't have asked for more, and it was great to share it with our family.

Casey Blake

The Tribe pulled the trigger Saturday on a trade that made perfect sense, but sent packing one of my favorite players ever to don an Indians uniform. Casey Blake (left, in his 2-for-3 Dodger debut) was sent to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for two prospects, catcher Carlos Santana and pitcher Jon Meloan.

No question it's a good deal. Santana's got a hot bat and a powerful arm, and Meloan has shown promise in relief during his minor league career. All that for a 34-year-old who is about to be a free agent. Mark Shapiro had to make that deal, even if the potential payoff is still a couple of years away.

Still, it's sad to see Blake join C.C. Sabathia as departed Indians who were once a part of something that showed such promise. To me, Blake was simply a guy you could count on to deliver consistent numbers. He wasn't a superstar, or even a star, for that matter, but you knew what you were going to get with him. After a slow start this year, he had brought his numbers right back to where you'd expect them to be: .289 batting average, 11 homers, 58 runs batted in (a team high). He played third base, first base or outfield, without complaint. He was a positive force in the clubhouse. In six seasons with the Indians, he showed up for work every day and got the job done.

It's good that Shapiro understands the Tribe's current situation and is moving forward without wringing his hands. But Casey Blake will be missed. He'll always be one of my favorites in Tribe history.

Could the Indians' Bats Be Coming Alive?

The Indians exploded for 17 hits to outlast Texas, 15-9, in a wild one in Arlington Wednesday night. Manager Eric Wedge announced the other day that the Tribe's hitting slump was over, but that it wasn't obvious because the hits just weren't falling in, and the team wasn't winning. Well, they left no doubt last night.

Call it beginner's luck, call it the scouts not having had enough time to watch him, call it what you want, but Ben Francisco is on a tear. He was 5-for-6 Wednesday to raise his average to .343 on the season. Wherever the ball has been thrown, he's hit it, and usually hit it hard. Francisco has been a fixture in the lineup and will remain so as long as he's hitting. Amazing stat check: He already leads the Indians in doubles (13) despite having played in only half of the team's games.

Nice to see as well: Ryan Garko's 4-for-5, 6 RBI performance. He's bumped his average up to .260. Garko needs to continue his strong hitting for the Indians' offense to shift into high gear. And give David Dellucci credit. He had two more hits Wednesday, including his sixth home run, and he now has more RBIs this season (22) than Victor Martinez (20).

Speaking of RBIs, Casey Blake has managed to knock in 37 runs to lead the team, despite his low batting average. He's on a pace to drive in 100 runs, something he's never done in his career.

And what to make of Cliff Lee? The lefthander raised his season record to 9-1, while his ERA rose right with it, to 2.45. To be fair, Rangers Ballpark is a hitter's paradise, and Lee got knocked around for six runs before exiting after six, but still got the win. Over time, hitters adjust, too, so scouts are no doubt getting a line on Lee and forwarding it to their coaching staffs. It was nice to see Lee get the run support he needed Wednesday night after all the times he's bailed his teammates out this season. Here's hoping C.C. Sabathia gets the same tonight in the final game of the series.

Red Wings do it again...

A tip of the cap to the Detroit Red Wings, who defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 Wednesday night to capture their fourth Stanley Cup title in 11 seasons, and their first since 2002. They jumped out to an early lead and held off a furious Pittsburgh rally as time ran out.

But what a rally it was. Marion Hossa's power play goal with 1:27 remaining pulled the Penguins within one. Pittsburgh had already pulled Game 5 hero Marc-Andre Fleury from the net to create a 6-4 skating advantage, and they put on one last, furious attack to try to tie the game up as the seconds ticked away. Sidney Crosby's last second backhand attempt was deflected wide by Detroit goalie Chris Osgood, and Hossa's desperation attempt to tip it in trickled harmlessly across the crease as the horn sounded.

It was great theater, and a fitting end to a hard-fought, well-played series. The Penguins are young and likely to compete for the crown again next year. In the meantime, congratulations to the Red Wings, winners of the Stanley Cup for the eleventh time in franchise history.