Cleveland

I am an Indians fan who was in attendance for their game at US Cellular Field against the Chicago White Sox on Opening Day, April 5, 2010.

Here are my thoughts.

Typical Mark Buehrle Opening Day game if you are a Tribe fan. Either he is a hair off and the Tribe rips him for eight runs and a granny in the first inning, or he mows them down like grass all day. This was the latter.

Forget "Who's On First?".

The big question entering the 2010 season for the Indians is: "Who's Going To Lead This Team?".

Sure, we all feel better about the leadership coming from the dugout with the effervescent Manny Acta at the helm instead of the flat-lining Eric Wedge. But the team still needs a leader on the field.

Who is up to the task? Ladies and gentlemen, your candidates...

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The Tribe held a fire sale last season by unloading several key veterans as Victor Martinez, Cliff Lee, Carl Pavano, Mark DeRosa, and Ben Francisco were all dealt in mid-season deals that left Indians fans wondering who was left. 

There are some things in life we know to be true.

The sun rises in the East. Politicians are crooks. Family Guy will never be funnier than The Simpsons was at its peak.

And the Boston Red Sox will sign Marco Scutaro.

With Alex Gonzalez headed for Toronto and J.J. Hardy already traded, we’re told that Scutaro, by far the best shortstop in this year’s free agent class, is as good as signed.

The 1999 Cleveland Indians had one of the best lineups in the history of Major League Baseball.

They had incredible individual accomplishments. Three sluggers combined for 108 homers. Four hitters had RBIs in the triple-digits. Five players scored 100 or more runs.

They became the first team in nearly 50 years to score 1,000 runs in a season.

The news in Cleveland has fans going crazy right now!

The Cleveland Cavaliers have just traded for Shaquille O'Neal!

Across the street from Quicken Loans Arena is Progressive Field, and the home of the Cleveland Indians, and there is a completely different story, but one that Indians fans are all too familiar with.

The Indians are in the midst of losing seven out of their last eight games for a record of 30 wins and 43 losses. They are also 11 games out of first place and own the worst record in the American League.

Masa Kobayashi should not be breaking camp with the Cleveland Indians, but Wedge and Co. have already given indications that he'll be in the bullpen come April 6.

Signed to a two-year deal in the 2008 off-season by Mark Shapiro, Kobayashi has done little to earn the paycheck.  Most likely, he was purchased as a cheap insurance option in the likely event that Joe Borowski couldn't skate through the majors another year by throwing an 85 mph fastball.

The Indians, who do not respond well to preseason accolades, are back in the shadows for 2009.

This makes them dangerous and capable of winning the AL Central. They filled a big hole with the signing of closer Kerry Wood, while a healthy Victor Martinez and Travis Hafner will make a good offense better.

The biggest question will be the starting rotation, where the Indians have produced two straight Cy Young winners in CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee. Sabathia is gone, but Lee is back, followed by a long line of suspect and untested starters.

In the past two seasons, Cleveland Indians pitching coach Carl Willis has seen two of his pitchers win the Cy Young Award. CC Sabathia won it in 2007, and Cliff Lee won it in 2008.

So, can Willis work his magic a third time?

As of right now, the Indians have two contenders: Lee and Fausto Carmona.

It is unlikely that Cliff will repeat, but anything is possible.

Carmona, on the other hand, is a very good bet, and for many reasons.