Carlos Santana was only eight years old when the Cleveland Indians opened the doors to Jacobs Field in 1994. That team already featured Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome and others, and they would add and subtract All-Stars throughout the next decade as fans poured through the turnstiles in record fashion.
A decade and a half later, the park goes by Progressive Field, but little progress seems to be occurring. Cleveland fans led the league in staying home in 2010. Meanwhile, the team itself had no breakout stars, saw its only big-name prospect arrive and get hurt and won only 69 games.
The Tribe are no great shakes going into 2011, either, though perhaps they will at least keep more fans entertained. It is the time for optimism, to be sure, but the Indians will have a long uphill climb toward the sort of glory to which their fans grew accustomed during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Here are 10 things that have to go right for this team to reach the World Series.
This is the eighth in a series of pieces listing 10 things that would have to go right for each MLB team to win a pennant this season. To find out when your favorite team's article comes out, follow me on the twitter @MattTrueblood, or sign up for your team's Bleacher Report newsletter.
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