Hello Tribe fans everywhere!

Much is made of Cleveland manager Eric Wedge's reluctance to have his players steal bases. Of course, most of the Indians Wedge has managed these past four seasons run as if their feet are encased in concrete. Grady Sizemore is an exception -- he can run -- and Wedge gives him the green light to try to steal whenever he wants.

But now the Indians have a player who shows real skill as a base stealer. Newly-acquired second baseman Josh Barfield swiped 20 bases in 2006 -- his rookie season with the San Diego Padres. Earlier this week, former Tribe catcher Sandy Alomar Jr., who, during his time with the Dodgers last season, saw plenty of Barfield, predicted the youngster could steal 50 bases.

Barfield, according to what we read in the Cleveland newspapers, likes the sound of that, but Wedge isn't so sure. He worries about the Indians running themselves out of big innings. That could be an "American League way of thinking." This is the domain of the DH, after all, where so many teams seem more content to sit back and wait for the 3-run homer. Or, it could reveal a managerial flaw in Wedge's makeup.

Part of the Tribe's weakness in recent years has been its inability to run -- to use speed to manufacture runs. Yes, the Indians were a high-scoring team in 2006, but in close, low-scoring games, a stolen base here and there, a successfully-executed hit and run can make the difference.

That's why I'm excited about Barfield. Perhaps he can help set the table for the rest of the slow-footed sluggers.

I must admit to being a little put off, too, by Wedge's lack of enthusiasm for stolen bases. Yes, he's managed slow teams during his time in Cleveland, but that's not to say it will always be that way. I've long felt Wedge needs to stretch a bit in his approach to the game. It's not as if he's been managing the Yankees, a team with unlimited resources, but he often plays things too close to the vest.

It's time to turn the guys, who can run, loose. Speed, it seems, could be a valuable weapon in the Tribe's offensive arsenal. And it could help the manager keep his job.

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The answer to yesterday's quickie quiz: No, Tony Horton never led the A.L. in home runs. The most he ever hit in a single season was 27.

Today's quiz: "I won 8 games in 27 starts for the Tribe in 2003. But now I'm struggling to keep my place on the big-league roster. Who am I?"

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-- Kevin Cuneo