Travis Hafner

Would Travis Hafner have been an MVP if he didn't break his hand in 2006?

Is Nap Lajoie the greatest Indian you've never heard of?

Is Manny Ramirez one of the best Cleveland outfielders in the history of the franchise?

More importantly, which Indian had the greatest ever offensive season at his position?

Major League Baseball has been asking fans this question in an effort to choose each team's best collection of stars. They are calling it MLB 9s.

The A.L. Central, like its Western-division brethren and the entire National League, is full of bad teams. The division’s first-place Detroit Tigers enter Tuesday’s games with a run differential that would rank fifth in the A.L. East.

The Minnesota Twins, meanwhile, have ridden Joe Mauer’s Ted Williams impression and a pitching staff that has decided against issuing walks this season into second place, a mere three games out, and are the only other team in the division to have outscored its opponents thus far.

The 2009 season has not gone at all as planned for the Cleveland Indians.

They have struggled, at one point or another, in every aspect of the game, losing because of starting pitching, the bullpen, blown saves, bad defense, bad managing, a lack of situational hitting, a lack of hitting period, and even some blown calls (when a fan reaches over the fence to snatch a ball away from a fielder it's interference, not a go ahead home run, even for the Yankees, but I digress).

In 2008 the Indians' Travis Hafner struggled through the worst year of his career.

Limited by a shoulder injury, Hafner appeared in only 57 games, hitting .197/.305/.323 with only 5 HRs and 24 RBI while striking out almost twice as much as he walked.

These numbers were a far cry from the Hafner of 2004-06 who averaged .308/.419/.611 with 34 HR, 111 RBI, 96 R, and 38 2Bs a year as one of the league's most best hitters.

Well at least they won one. The Tribe dropped the first two in almost the same fashion they dropped all three to the Rangers to open the season. They got behind early thanks to poor starting pitching and then failed to come through with the clutch hit with runners in scoring position. The ugly numbers:

Game One - 1-5 RISP, 11 K, 8 LOB, 1 DP
Game Two - 1-9 RISP, 9 K, 8 LOB, 2 DP
Game Three - 2-7 RISP, 11K, 11 LOB, 1 DP
Totals - 4-21 RISP (.190), 31 K, 21 LOB, 4 DP

As I previously declared, Opening Day 2009 was a bust. But an even bigger disappointment was Cleveland's unofficial holiday, Home Opening Day.

It wasn't the cold weather, or the rain, or the game being postponed—we're Clevelanders, most of us were prepared for that stuff. It wasn't the overpriced alcohol or hot dogs or the drunk guy spilling his beer on us either. It's a baseball game, that's all part of the experience.

There aren't many bright things to say about the Cleveland Indians season so far.

Cliff Lee is 0-2.

Carl Pavano may be a bust.

Grady Sizemore already has 10 strikeouts.

Trevor Crowe has anger issues!!!

Of course, there is one thing that the Indians players, coaches, and fans should be excited about. His name is Travis Hafner.

Despite his poor average and lack of power, Hafner has done better than some may think the past few seasons.

After a disappearing act over two years featuring injuries and disappointing play, Travis Hafner's return is one of the biggest stories of the Indians 2009 season.

However, it isn't the most important factor that could lead them on the path to success this year. The bullpen and situational hitting were problem areas for the Tribe in '08.

Hafner's stardom rose to its peak in 2006, then fell off the tracks some time after signing a major contract extension. His injury troubles have forced him off the field and into the DH spot of the lineup.