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Tribe removes bad taste from Yankee series


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

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This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on April 24, 2007 4:32 PM.

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