Hello Tribe fans everywhere!

Our beloved Indians own an 11-3 lead over the White Sox, as I write this missive. Don't you just love it when Cleveland opens the season with a 5-run first inning and a 4-run second inning?

To show how little spring training numbers matter, Grady Sizemore, who batted about .110 in Winter Haven, led off the game with a home run. Trot Nixon, who looked so old and decrepit that sportswriters wondered why Mark Shapiro ever signed him, rapped out hits in his first three at bats.

Of course, sitting here, listening to action in the sixth inning, I'm hoping the Indians bullpen will be able to salt this one away. It shows what little faith Tribe fans like me have in the pen.

No matter what happens today, one game does not a season make. On the other hand, I can recall how it felt in 1969 when the Indians opened the season by losing 13 of their first 15 games. The year was over before it started.

Here's wishing all my Indian-loving friends a happy 2007 season. May we meet again in October, when the Tribe will be headed for the World Series.

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The answer to the last quickie quiz: Gary Bell was an Indians hurler of the 1960's, who answered to the nickname "Ding Dong."

Today's quiz: Name the batter Sam McDowell beaned on opening day in 1969. The hitter, a first baseman, said he suffered from headaches for the next two years.

-- Kevin Cuneo

Hello Tribe fans everywhere!

A week ago, it sounded as if the Indians might be on the verge of reaching a new agreement with Jake Westbrook on a contract extension. But now everyone has clammed up. In fact, Cleveland baseball beat reporters now believe the club might be closer to re-signing Travis Hafner than they are to re-signing Westbrook.

In truth, the Indians face a difficult decision in determining how much to invest in Westbrook, especially if they're serious about taking a run at both Hafner and C.C. Sabathia. I think they'd probably be lucky to sign two out of three, and Sabathia will likely command the largest contract, though Hafner's stands to make tens of millions, as well.

So, if Tribe GM Mark Shapiro believes he has a legitimate shot at Hafner and Sabathia, does he take a pass on Westbrook? He might be tempted to do so, but I think it would be a mistake. Westbrook would probably be the easiest -- and the cheapest of the three -- to re-sign. Plus, if the Indians somehow manage to convince Hafner and Sabthia to stay, and promising young hurlers such as Adam Miller and Fausto Carmona need to pitch at the big-league level, they could always trade Westbrook.

But I definitely think they should move now to sew up Westbrook -- before he opts to see what he can get on the free-agent market. Once players get that far, the cord is cut; players no longer feel the same sense of attachment to their teams.

All of this could be moot, as the Indians, a notoriously thrifty team under the Dolan regime, might have no designs on re-signing any of the three. It could be why the club is constantly seeking to bolster its farm system -- to replenish the team after the stars move on. As depressing as that seems, it might be a realistic assessment.

But, hey, it's April 3 and the Tribe is undefeated (1-0) and in first place. Can't we just bask in the sunshine for today? Yes, but Shapiro and company must concern themselves with the future.

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The answer to yesterday's quickie quiz: Well, first, let me amend the question. Sam McDowell beaned Don Mincher in the 1968 home opener, not the '69 opener. Poor Mincher, who looked dead to the world as they hauled him off the field, said he suffered from severe headaches for the next two seasons.

Today's quiz: Name the lefthanded pitcher who compiled a 48-37 record with a 3.23 earned from average for the Tribe from 1981-85.

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-- Kevin Cuneo

Hello Tribe fans everywhere!

We're 2-0 and ready for a sweep! Most gratifying about today's 8-7 victory by the Indians over the White Sox was the performance by Cleveland's rebuilt bullpen. The relievers shut down Chicago's powerful lineup over the final four innings, and Joe Borowski picked up his first save with a scoreless ninth inning.

Jim Thome's 3-run home run in the first inning made the outlook a bit gloomy for the Tribe, but Andy Marte slugged a 2-run homer to trim the deficit, and Grady Sizemore later added his second home run in as many games.

It's nice to see Cleveland win close games, which didn't happen all that often in 2006. The Tribe scored tons of runs last season, but their shoddy relief corps blew game after game. Indians GM Mark Shapiro must be on cloud 9 over the performance of his bullpen today.

I'm excited to see players such as Trot Nixon looking so good in the early going. Nixon appeared to be a bad signing only a few weeks ago, but he started the regular season with three straight hits. "It helped put some swagger back in Trot's walk," said Tribe manager Eric Wedge.

Shortstop Jhonny Perlata has also continued his great play from spring training. Peralta is slashing the ball to all fields, looking much like the promising young star he was in 2005.

It's could all come apart tomorrow, but, for now, Tribe fans can sit back and smile, smile, smile.

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The answer to yesterday's quickie quiz is: Bert Blyleven

Today's quiz: name the brothers who played for the Indians in the 1960's. Hint: one was a catcher, and one a shortstop.

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-- Kevin Cuneo

Hello Tribe fans everywhere!

I'm just back from a week's vacation that took me deep into the heart of Dixie. Thanks to the powerful Cleveland radio station at 1100 on tour AM dial, however, I was able to follow our beloved Tribe through the cold, snow, ice and the beer-flavored air of Milwaukee.

Heading into tonight's scheduled game against the Yankees, the Indians stand at 6-3 -- a few percentage points ahead of Minnesota in the standings. Considering the lousy weather, it's been a fairly auspicious beginning -- especially by the Indians' pitchers.

C.C. Sabthia is off to a 3-0 start, and Paul Byrd is pitching splendidly. Closer Joe Borowski has registered five straight saves, giving rise to hope that, maybe, just maybe, this could be the Indians year.

Yeah, yeah, I know it's only April 17, but you have to like what you've seen so far. And that would be excellent pitching from both the starters and relievers. Because the weather's been so miserable, the pitchers are well ahead of the hitters, but I'm still excited about this start.

I'm also pleased the Indians are still searching for help in the bullpen. Another quality arm would be most welcome.

Victor Martinez says he'll be able to return tonight as Cleveland's catcher, and even though Kelly Shoppach didn't hit much while be filled in for the injured Martinez, his defense was most impressive.

The Indians have a couple of bright young catching prospects in the minors, which means Shoppach could eventually be used in a trade.

I'm excited that Ryan Garko is off to such a good start. He's a personal favorite, and the Indians can certainly use his big bat. I'm still not sure why Garko doesn't get more respect from Tribe management -- he works much harder at his craft than, say, Andy Marte, whose defense has been quite shoddy in the early going.

For now, though, I don't want to dwell on negatives. By taking it one game at a time, the Tribe is playing well. I'll be satisfied if they can take two out of three in every series.

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The answer to the last quickie quiz is: Dick and Larry Brown are the brothers who played for the Indians during the 1960s.

Today's quiz: Name the Indians utility man who played every position, with the exception of pitcher and catcher, from 1970-77. Hint: he later went on to have seven good years with Baltimore.

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-- Kevin Cuneo

Hello Tribe fans everywhere!

Just when I'm ready to pronounce the Cleveland Indians one of baseball's top teams, the Tribe comes crashing back to earth. Jake Westbrook, Cleveland's $33 million dollar man, pitched as if he has a 5-cent arm in last night's 10-3 loss to the Yankees.

Westbrook has been a solid performer for Cleveland for the past four years, so I can't fault him for one lousy performance. But did he have to pitch so miserably against the Yankees? Man, I hate the Yankees!

Half of New York's team is on the disabled list, Derek Jeter is mired in the worst fielding slump of his career, and list of the Yankees' woes goes on and on. So, what do the Bombers do against the Tribe in their first meeting of 2007? They blew Cleveland socks off in the span of two innings, that's what.

Fortunately, the baseball season is a long one, and there's plenty of time to make amends. When I did enjoy in last night's game, incidentally, was strong work in relief by Jason Davis, Francisco Cabrera and Tom Mastny. Roberto Hernandez probably would have escaped unscathed from his only inning of work, as well, had the Indians turned a fairly routine double play in the seventh.

What the game showed is that the Yankees have the ability to bounce back from a crushing loss. Good teams do that. New York's win also gave me a slap in the puss for predicting great things for the Indians on April 17. I should have at least waited until May.

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The answer to yesterday's quickie quiz is: John Lowenstein. He was a character and a valuable utility infielder for the Tribe for much of the 1970s.

Today's quiz: Name the Indians manager who also managed the Erie Sailors in the 1940s.

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-- Kevin Cuneo

Hello Tribe fans everywhere!

Until Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon went to his bullpen Sunday, Cleveland's April swoon appeared that it would continue. Playing listlessly against the lowly Devil Rays, the Tribe looked certain to lose two of three games.

But then Maddon pulled his starter, James Shields, who was pitching like a modern-day Juan Marichal, and the Indians had a second chance. Garko's three-run home run off Brian Stokes in the ninth inning saved the weekend. Instead of sleep-walking through the series, Cleveland took two of three.

There was still a lot of sleepwalking on the Tribe's part, unfortunately, and that's the concern heading into the next series at Minnesota. First and foremost, the Indians must start playing better defense. At the moment, they're the worst defensive team in the American League.

This time, however, we can't just point our fingers at Jhonny Peralta or any other individual player. To a man, almost all of them look awful in the field -- Grady Sizemore notwithstanding.

So, what do you do? I don't know how you motivate big-league players to start fielding better, but Eric Wedge had better figure it out, or he'll be out of a job soon. I know, I know. I'm the guy who wrote last Monday that I had a special feeling about this club. Actually, I did back then, but I am greatly dismayed by the Indians' serious lapses in the field.

Wedge is still taking heat, as well, for pitching to Alex Rodriguez in the final game of that debacle at Yankee Stadium. Personally, I don't think it's the least bit unfair to turn up the heat on Wedge and his staff. He's the guy who either needs to motivate his players to play better defense, or dump the worst offenders and replace them with others who can catch the ball.

With a few notable exceptions, the Indians pitching has been OK. Even though Joe Borowski's earned run average looks like a cab fare from Erie to Anchorage, he's 7-for-7 in save situations. I kind of like the way he bounced back from his implosion against New York.

For a team that's hitting as poorly as the Tribe is, an 8-7 record doesn't look too bad. But I am reminded of last season when the Indians began slumping early in the year and remained underachievers until all the kids were summoned from Buffalo in August.

One thing that's become crystal clear in recent days is how much the Indians need Travis Hafner. Take him out of the lineup and this is a banjo-hitting club. I hope the Dolan family is watching closely, because the Indians can't afford not to re-sign Hafner, whose contract expires after the 2008 season.

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The answer to the last quickie quiz is: Kerby Farrell. He managed a great Erie Sailors team in the 1940s, and then succeeded Al Lopez as Tribe skipper in 1957. Unfortunately, Bob Lemon's arm went bad and Herb Score got hit in the eye. The Indians finished 6th, and Farrell's career as a big league manager was over.

Today's quiz: name the great Indians centerfielder who turns 40 on May 31.

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-- Kevin Cuneo

Hello Tribe fans everywhere!

Twice in a row now the Indians have struck late for victories, so who's complaining? You certainly can't beef about Cleveland's bullpen, which has been nearly perfect since last week's dreadful loss to the Yankees in the final game of that awful 3-game sweep.

You've got to love Travis Hafner when he's in one of these streaks. Alex Rodriguez is getting all the press, and with good reason. He's hotter than a set of pistons at the Indy 500. But for the past week, Hafner has also been on an amazing tear. It's a good thing, too, because Grady Sizemore, Jhonny Peralta, Josh Barfield and several other Tribesmen have been ice cold at the plate.

I'm glad to see Shin-Soo Choo back in the big leagues. He was called up last night when Andy Marte went on the disabled list. There's something about Choo that makes me smile. I think it's the enthusiasm with which he plays the game. He's a hustler, with good speed, and his righthanded bad works well in the Tribe lineup.

It also makes me wonder if Cleveland made a mistake by signing Trot Nixon. Yes, I know Nixon is a hard-working veteran who provides leadership in the clubhouse, but wouldn't you rather see Choo or Ben Francisco get a shot in Cleveland's outfield? I have to admit I'm not that impressed with David Delluci yet, either. Yes, I know he's hurt and battled a flu bug before that, but on a club that builds from the farm system, I'm surprised the Indians don't show more confidence in their kids.

Sunday's and Monday's wins are huge, I believe, because the Indians, with the exception of Hafner, Victor Martinez and Ryan Garko, are still struggling on offense. If you can win when a big part of your game is suffering, it says a lot.

Most impressive to date has been the work by the bullpen. Already, it's a much improved unit from a year ago. Let's hope the guys keep pitching this effectively.

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The answer to yesterday's quickie quiz is: Kenny Lofton

Today's quiz: Name the Indians' outfielder from the 1970's known as "Silent George."

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-- Kevin Cuneo

Hello Tribe fans everywhere!

First Fausto Carmona shuts down the Yankees for six innings. And now he outduels Johan Santana, arguably baseball's best pitcher, in the Twins' own backyard. The Indians bounce back from getting swept at Yankee Stadium last week to win four of their next five on the road --including a 2-game sweep of the Twins.

Now, back in first place by a few percentage points over the White Sox, the Tribe is sitting pretty. Of course, it's only April, and Chicago, Detroit and Minnesota are breathing down the Indians' necks.

Even more interesting for the Tribe, though, is: What to do about Carmona? With Cliff Lee ready to come off the disabled list, does the club send Carmona back to the minors? I don't think so, and neither, I suspect, do the Indians believe they should take this step.

Carmona's only 23, but he pitches like a seasoned vet. I'd definitely keep him on the big league club, and I'd also keep him in the starting rotation. With C.C. Sabathia set to become a free agent after the 2008 season, and the Indians, based on past performance, unlikely to re-sign him, the Tribe would be wise to get Carmona ready now. Plus, from all that I've seen, he is ready now. What more is to be gained by shuffling him back to Buffalo?

The problem is there's no spot for Carmona in the rotation once Lee returns. But with Adam Miller ready to advance to the majors, as well, the Tribe should begin clearing some places. It's funny, but I wonder if Cleveland would have moved so quickly to re-sign Jake Westbrook if the club had seen Carmona pitch these last two games?

I'm not complaining about Westbrook, mind you. He's only 29 and, considering the high cost of pitching these days, he might eventually be thought of as a "deal."

Many teams need starting pitching, and the Indians are rich in that department at the moment. Paul Byrd would be the likely candidate to go, and he's pitched pretty well so far this season. His new split-fingered pitch looks quite promising.

But, say the Indians can't get much in return for Byrd. What do they do then? If there were holes in the bullpen, you might think either he or Carmona would be candidates for relief. But the bullpen has been solid thus far. Still, I'd keep Carmona in the rotation and, if a possible trade doesn't work out for Byrd, I'd try him in relief.

Byrd's a veteran and it seems pitching in relief might agree with him. He seems to have the stuff and the mental makeup for such a role. But, as I say, the Indians don't need much help in the pen at this moment.

I have to admit that every time I catch a Giants game on TV, Omar Vizquel, who's about to turn 74 (just kidding), is still making amazing plays in the field. Wouldn't it be great if he still played for Cleveland? And to think he wanted to re-sign with the Indians three years ago for $3 million a year. Now, that was a big blunder by Mark Shapiro.

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The answer to yesterday's quickie quiz is: George Hendrick. Because he never spoke to the media, Hendrick was dubbed "Silent George."

Today's quiz: Name the man who preceded John Hart as president and general manager of the Indians. He served in the job from 1987-1991.

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-- Kevin Cuneo

Hello Tribe fans everywhere!

You know things are going well for the Indians when they don't play particularly well, yet still win. The Tribe blew a 6-run lead against Texas Wednesday night before rallying for an 8-7 win in the 11th inning. And, this afternoon, they withstood a batting assault from two old-time superstars, Sammy Sosa and Kenny Lofton.

Sosa hammered a pair of homers -- he now has six on the year -- and Lofton stroked three hits, including a triple, while padding his league-lead in stolen bases. But the Tribe prevailed, 9-4.

Jhonny Peralta smacked a homer and looks to be emerging from a deep slup (3-for-36). Paul Byrd also pitched six strong innings to notch his second win. Bryd looks to be much improved over last season, although I'm still intrigued by the idea of turning him into a closer.

In truth, I have no idea if Byrd would have the stamina to pitch several times a week. But he's a crusty old timer who does seem to possess the personality and the stuff to excel in such a role. Plus, if he was successful, it would solidfy his role on the club. I mean, barring serious injury to at least two starters, there's no way the Indians pick up his contract for a third season at the conclusion of this year. But, if he shows value as a setup man or closer, it might be a different story. We'll see.

Today's 9-run outburst gives further evidence that the Indians are emerging from their offensive slump. Throughout this winning streak, they've found ways to win -- even when the cards were stacked against them. That's the sign of a good club.

Shin-Soo Choo continues to be a solid contributor, both at the plate and in the field. He cut down Lofton at home early in today's game with a perfect throw from the outfield.

First place is a very nice place to be, and, yes, I know I'm overreacting again, but I'd say the Tribe is looking more comfortable atop the A.L. Central Division.

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The answer to yesterday's quickie quiz is: Hank Peters preceded John Hart as Cleveland's president and general manager. Peters served from 1987-91, helped rebuild the farm system and tutored Hart as his successor.

Today's quiz: Name the two Indians radio broadcasters who teamed up for a total of 8 seasons in the 1950's and '60s. They sounded great on the air, but despised each other in real life.

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-- Kevin Cuneo

Hello Tribe fans everywhere!

Sometimes psychology and baseball don't mix. After the Yankees rallied from way behind to beat the Indians 8-6 on April 19, fans and sportswriters wondered what effect such a terrible loss might have on the Tribe. Psychologically speaking, that is.

Well, if you haven't already seen it, you must check out Kelly Shoppach's comments in today's Akron Beacon Journal. When asked such a question, Shoppach replied, "Look, sometimes you just get the crap beat out of you." You're got to love that kind of thinking.

The baseball season is so long that only those with staying power will last. You need to develop a skill for tossing off bitter losses or disappointing outings. You can't get too high after wins, or too low after setbacks.

Nothing had to be more disappointing to Paul Byrd, the winner in yesterday's 9-4 triumph over Texas, that being shut down one pitch short of a victory in the snow against Seattle on opening night in Cleveland. The game was eventually called and an almost certain victory -- for the Indians and Byrd -- was wiped out.

Instead of complaining (publicly, at least), Byrd kept his cool and stayed focused on the long season. Last year's club failed to do that, I'm convinced. After the bullpen blew a bunch of games early, some of the vets on the Indians kind of packed it in. Not until GM Mark Shapiro began cleaning house in July did the Indians finally start to perk up.

Frankly, we still don't know how good the '07 Tribe will be, but, so far, I'm encouraged. They win under trying circumstances, and they don't gripe when they lose.

More fans should adopt that noble philosophy.

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The answer to yesterday's quickie quiz is: Jimmy Dudley and Bob Neal teamed up behind the Indians radio mic for a total of 8 seasons in the '50s and '60s. They couldn't stand each other, but it was still fun listening to them.

Today's quiz: Name the Indians manager, age 51 at the time, who suffered a heart attack on April Fool's Day in 1964.

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-- Kevin Cuneo