Hello Tribe fans everywhere!

You can tell it's August because Indians management doesn't have nearly as much patience as it did earlier in the season. Cliff Lee kept getting pounded, so he was sent down to Buffalo so he could straighten himself out. Mike Rouse couldn't buy a hit, so the Tribe sent him packing and promoted promising young infielder Asdrubal Cabrera.

Now Eric Wedge lets it out that he might use Cabrera at second base if Josh Barfield continues to struggle at the plate. The Indians routinely pinch hit for Barfield, which seems reasonable. The young infielder has been batting only .207 since July 1st. Earlier in the season, the Indians seemed satisfied to let Barfield learn the A.L. hitters, but Wedge & Co. is not so patient anymore. I dont think Cleveland is giving up on Barfield -- he's really a whiz with the glove. But they can't afford such poor offensive production from him.

A little pressure on certain players is not a bad thing. Have you noticed, for instance, that Trot Nixon has been hitting much better since Cleveland acquired Kenny Lofton? And David Dellucci is talking about making it back by September.

The best news, though, is that Cliff Lee seems to finally be putting it together in Buffalo. He's pitched several good games at AAA, and Jason Giambi, who went 0-for-3 against him Tuesday in a rehab start, said Lee was throwing darts.

If Lee can make it back and reclaim his spot in the Indians' starting rotation, it'll give the club a huge boost in September. Look how much better Jake Westbrook has been pitching in his last three games. Westbrook hurled a gem against Chicago Tuesday night.

You can't complain at all about the Tribe's starting pitchers over the past month. I liked it when Westbrook returned to the dugout after mowing down the White Sox in the eighth, and every Cleveland starting pitcher came over to pump his hand and clap him on the back.

The big concern continues to be Cleveland's inability to score runs. If not for a broken-bat, opposite-field, 2-run single by Grady Sizemore, the club would have blown Westbrook's outstanding performance.

As it was, they almost blew it in the 9th when they made Joe Borowski get five outs to end the game. A passed ball by Victor Martinez on a third strike was followed two batters later by a muffed popup near the dugout that Martinez and Ryan Garko let drop between them. Borowski glared, but he never lost his poise. Later, he took the blame for the missed popup by saying, "I should have been over there, screaming at one of them to take it."

There are a lot of good guys on this club, starting with Borowski. He and Paul Byrd, C.C. Sabathia and Westbrook provide real leadership on the pitching staff. Trot Nixon is a strong clubhouse leader, which has undoubtedly solidified his role on the club.

But, given the option of having good guys who can't quite keep it together long enough to make the playoffs, or a bunch of hooligans who swagger and battle their way into the post-season (witness 1995 Tribe, led by Albert Belle and other jerks), I'm sure most fans would take the winners. "Give me a scrapper over a choirboy any day," Leo Durocher used to say.

Personally, I just want the Indians to win. And they'll have to start hitting the ball again -- and not striking out so much -- to get it done. That's the immediate challenge.

For now, though, Cleveland remains a half-game up on the Tigers. Until tonight's game against the White Sox begins, I'll be relaxing in my hammock, dreaming of the Indians in the World Series.

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The answer to yesterday's quickie quiz is: The 2006 Tribe tied an American League record by bashing 14 grand slam home runs.

Today's quiz: Name the Tribe pitcher who, in 1992, became the first American League hurler in 30 years to hit safely in the All-Star Game.

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-- Kevin Cuneo