Cleveland Indians

The Cleveland Indians move up to a .500 record, keeping the Boston Red Sox winless.  It is clear that the better team won in this game, considering the Tribe’s current team batting average of .290 versus the Red Sox’s .186.

The Cleveland Indians have gotten off to shaky start. After three games, the team has the second best team batting average, .318 just behind the Chicago White Sox batting .324.  Collectively, Cleveland has scored 20 runs, 20 RBI, 35 hits, four doubles and four home runs. So what's the problem?

Currently, Michael Brantley starts off the lineup, followed by Asdrubal Cabrera, Shin-Soo Choo, Carlos Santana, Travis Hafner, Orlando Cabrera, Austin Kearns, Matt LaPorta and Jack Hannahan.

Fausto Carmona and Carlos Carrasco have done a nice job giving the sparse crowds at Progressive Field their best impression of a pinball machine, getting lit up to the tune of 17 runs in 9.2 innings. While it's certainly disconcerting to see the No. 1 and No. 2 Tribe starters getting beat like a drum, it definitely shouldn't come as a surprise.

The Indians honored the memory of Bob Feller before their Opening Day game today.

If only they had honored it with their play as well.

It has been almost four years since the Indians last finished a season with record of .500 or better. The last time, in fact, was 2007, when the Indians won the AL Central with a record or 96-66. Since that time it has been all down hill for the Tribe,  81 victories in 2008, 65 in 2009, and 69 in 2010. Had it not been for a hot 7-3 finish the Tribe would have finished in the AL Central basement for the second consecutive season.

Bad news for Tribe fans: this season may not be much better than any of those.

CLEVELAND INDIANS 

Last Year: 69-93, Fourth in AL Central 

Manager: Manny Acta

PROJECTED LINEUP 

C- Carlos Santana (S)

1B- Matt LaPorta (R)

2B- Orlando Cabrera (R)

3B- Jack Hannahan (L)

SS- Asdrubal Cabrera (S)

LF- Michael Brantley (S)

CF- Grady Sizemore (L) (Will start season on DL) 

RF- Shin-Soo Choo (L)

DH- Travis Hafner (L)

As the Indians continue to rebuild, this season's storylines revolve around the development of young guys like Matt Laporta and Carlos Santana.

Grady Sizemore's health is another thing to keep an eye on.  He's in the final year of his contract, and if he can stay on the field and contribute his trade value will increase if the Indians decide to shop him.

It's going to take time in Cleveland.

There is hope for a victorious recovery. 

As many Cleveland Indians fans remember, center fielder Grady Sizemore spent the majority of last season on the disabled list.  It took Sizemore just under a year to fully recover from microfracture surgery to repair his knee.

Now, in spring training, after slowly incorporating more drills into his routine, Sizemore is back at his home position in center, even if just for a few innings at a time.

“The development was done last year... It’s time to play to win every day. That’s our mentality, and our expectations are that: building on the way we played in the second half of the season. We’re expecting to win.”

That quote from Indians manager Manny Acta, while a bit old (quoted in the New York Times on March 3), stands in stark contrast to the outlook of most Indians fans. Most of us are a jaded, bitter bunch expecting another flirtation with 100 losses.

Cleveland Indians (2010 record: 69-93)

If there is little reason to buy a ticket in Houston, there is even less reason to buy a ticket in Cleveland. The Indians did very little this winter in terms of improving the roster…and since everyone else in the division is as good or better than they were last year, the upcoming campaign is not looking promising.