Hello Tribe Fans Everywhere!

Funny how I didn't really miss Omar Vizquel last season, but I've thought a hundred times this year what a difference he could have made. What's changed, of course, is Jhonny Peralta. Last year he was a hitting machine. Also, after a rough start, he performed steadily in the infield over the second half of the year.

It's all changed now. Pitchers adjusted to Peralta -- they don't throw him fastballs anymore -- and he's become a .250 hitter without much clout. He's hit half as many homers this season, and there are times when he looks asleep at bat and in the field. He's also become a strikeout king, but not in the good Bob Feller/Sam McDowell way. He's more from the bad Russell Branyan/Dave Nicholson school.

In last night's game against Kansas City, Casey Blake stole second base as Peralta struck out. But wait! Was that Jhonny who failed to get out of the way of KC's catcher, as he threw to second to try to get Blake? Yes, it was, and Peralta was called for catcher's interference. It meant that Blake, who was safe at second by a country mile, was also called out. The next batter singled to left, which likely would have scored Blake with the tying run. But, alas, the Indians would never come close to tying the Royals for the rest of the night.

Once again, Peralta was caught sleep walking. It's happened too often this season, which has to be the reason Manager Eric Wedge benched him for three games. Last night was his first game back.

Even though Peralta recently went 41 games without an error, and he should finish the year with fewer errors than he committed in 2005, the 24-year-old Dominican did not progress as a fielder. In fact, I think he played much better in the second half of '05 than he did in the second half of '06. He doesn't seem to reach balls that he got to last season, and his intensity is not the same.

I used to think the Indians would simply shift him to second or third base, but now I believe the Tribe might trade Peralta. He signed a long-term contract in the spring and just hasn't performed since then. This is a club that hates spending money in the first place, and club execs probably feel that Peralta is taking them for a ride. Baseball front office types always tend to think that way.

Of course, the danger of trading a player like Peralta is that he redisovers his swing and eventually comes under the influence of a manager who knows how to motivate him. Then he puts up big numbers, leaving everyone in Cleveland wondering: "How in the world did we ever let a star like Peralta get away?"

Yes, Peralta looks like a player who is badly mismanged. Now, I wouldn't want to be in Wedge's shoes, trying to get a headstrong young guy like this to play for me. But that's the challenge. The Indians need to find a way to get Peralta to play up to his potential.

Nobody ever said it would be easy. But it has to be done.

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The answer to yesterday's quiz is: Alan Bannister played three years for the Tribe.

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Today's quiz: Name the Indians starting pitcher who once spent a season toiling for the Wareham Gatemen in the Cape Cod Baseball League.

-- Kevin Cuneo