Hello Tribe fans everywhere!

Cleveland lost 2-1 this afternoon on a late-inning home run by Chicago's Joe Crede, but few Indians fans would complain about the season-opening homestand. Not since the 1954 and '55 seasons have the Indians started two consecutive seasons with two straight wins, as they did in 2007 and '08.

Here's what impressed me on the opening homestand:

Fausto Carmona looks like he's picked up right where he left off in '07. Chicago's hitters were helpless against his hard sinkers Wednesday.

Franklin Gutierrez has been just as impressive in Cleveland, where it was 34 degrees Wednesday night, as he was in Winter Haven. The kid looks like a real player -- somebody who's really coming into his own. Could he be on the verge of a big year? Maybe!

Asdrubal Cabrera is another who doesn't seem to have lost of the panache he showed during a late-season call-up in '07. What a steal this guy was from Seattle!

Grady Sizemore seems to be in mid-season form. Still only 25, Sizemore's power is more apparent and perhaps he really is ready to take his place among the game's greatest stars.

There were other highlights during the first three games, and, if you're a Cleveland fan, you can't help but feel excited about the great things to come.

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Today's quickie quiz: Name the athlete Grady Sizemore idolized when he was growing up.

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-- Kevin Cuneo

Hello Tribe fans everywhere!

I have to tell you straight up that I am a great fan of Ben Francisco, the 26-year-old Indians outfielder who is currently languishing at Buffalo. Francisco, who played well during brief tours with the Tribe in 2007, put up impressive numbers during spring training. He performed so capably, in fact, that what seemed like a certain trip to the minors was in doubt until the final days of camp.

Fans like me hoped the Indians might somehow be able to pawn David Dellucci off on some unsuspecting club. But it wasn't to be. Dellucci, who is under contract to Cleveland through the end of the 2009 season, is apparently of no interest to any other big league team. That might be an exaggeration, but only a slight one.

Clearly, Tribe GM Mark Shapiro goofed with this signing. Yes, Dellucci, playing in a part-time role, had averaged just under 20 home runs over three previous seasons. But once he came to Cleveland, he played like a schlub. He struck out too much and stranded too many runners -- until he mercifully tore his hamstring.

That's cruel, I know, but it was only after Dellucci left the club that the Indians finally gave Franklin Gutierrez a shot in the outfield. Gutierrez, at long last, began to fulfill the promise that for years had been predicted for him.

You would think, based on that experience, that the Indians would cut Dellucci to make way for Francisco and, later, for Shin Soo Choo, who is almost recovered from serious shoulder surgery. One of the Tribe broadcasters mentioned on the air Monday that perhaps Cleveland is hoping Dellucci gets off to a good enough start, so that another team might be willing to take him off the Indians' hands.

Shapiro has made a lot of good deals since succeeding John Hart as the club's general manager. He's also had a couple of stinkers, including the trade of Brandon Phillips to Cincinnati, and, now, the signing of Dellucci.

The Indians no longer spend enough money to lure big-time free agents to Cleveland. And when they do shell out a decent sum -- as they did in Dellucci's case -- they seem insistent about keeping the player. It's unfortunate for Francisco, who's done enough time at Class AAA. It might also be folly for the Indians if Dellucci starts to cost them against this season, as he did in early 2007.

Let's hope it doesn't turn out that way.

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The answer to yesterday's Quickie Quiz is: Grady Sizemore's favorite athlete when he was growing up was Bo Jackson.

Today's quiz: Name the organization that originally signed David Dellucci in 1995.

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-- Kevin Cuneo

Hello Tribe fans everywhere!

Thankfully, I had already drifted off to dreamland by the time Joe Borowski surrendered a walk-off, game-winning grand slam to the Angels' Torii Hunter Monday night. Borowski had already saved two games, although the guy is a walking billboard for Pepto Bismol. If he doesn't give fans an ulcer, nobody will.

In Cleveland today, everyone from the Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto on down blasted Borowski for failing to throw strikes. "When he walks so many hitters," Pluto said on his live chat, "I take it as a sign that he's long confidence in his stuff."

It's a shame another strong pitching performance by Fausto Carmona was wasted, but at least the Indians scored four runs. The way their offense has been performing, that seems like a ton of runs.

Part of the problem, of course, is the left field tandem of David Dellucci and Jason Michaels, which has opened the season by combining for 1 hit in 25 plate appearances. That's pathetic, and you have to believe Tribe GM Mark Shapiro won't put up with it for very long. If I were Shapiro, however, before I traded pitching (likely candidates include Aaron Laffey, Jeremy Sowers, Cliff Lee, etc.) for another hitter, I'd call up Ben Francisco and see what he can do.

Realistically, the Tribe needs to hold onto its pitching in case C.C. Sabathia decides to head for greener pastures, which is expected to happen. What I might consider if I were Shapiro is a trade for Sabathia. Why let Laffey and Sowers languish at Buffalo, if you can add a potent bat to the lineup?

Consider it food for thought.

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The answer to the last Quickie Quiz is: David Dellucci was originally signed by the Baltimore Orioles.

Today's quiz: Name the Indians pitcher who was traded by the White Sox organization for Pete Rose Jr., the of the Orioles organization, in 1991.

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-- Kevin Cuneo

Hello Tribe fans everywhere!

Yes, the Indians offensive attack has more holes than Tim Hortons' doughnuts, and closer Joe Borowski can't be trusted to get within 5 miles of a gas station (he'd turn the place into an inferno). But it's way too early to push the panic button.

Borowski's velocity is way down, but it apparently was at this low level at the start of last season. Plus, the guy will never be confused with Bob Feller. He's crafty, and to keep his job as Cleveland's closer, he'll have to out-think the hitters.

The weak spots so far have been left field, right field and third base. But, except for left field, I think the team should pull together. C.C. Sabathia and Paul Byrd have pitched poorly thus far, but Jake Westbrook, Fausto Carmona and Cliff Lee sparkled during the first 9 games.

The best thing I've seen so far this season is Travis Hafner hitting a pair of laser-shot homers. Hafner's up-and-down 2007 campaign still produced 26 homers and 100 RBIs, and I think he's looked better this year. Unless Cleveland finds help in left, the Indians are going to need Hafner to improve on his numbers.

Despite the disappointing West Coast swing, I've seen nothing that could doom the entire season. Some longtime Tribe fans can recall years when the season was already over by now. But I like the way Cleveland, behind Hafner's 2-out, 9th-inning homer, rallied to defeat the Angels, 4-3, on Tuesday.

As the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Paul Hoynes observed today, a loss like Monday's, when Borowski surrendered a game-winning grand slam, would stick with some teams for a week or longer. The Tribe bounced right back the next day to win in the 9th. It means this club might have real spirit, which would be nice.

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The answer to yesterday's Quickie Quiz: Joe Borowski was traded by the White Sox to Baltimore in 1991 for Pete Rose Jr., who had played in Erie.

Today's quiz: Name the players Cleveland traded to Texas for Travis Hafner.

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-- Kevin Cuneo

Hello Tribe fans everywhere!

Well, the Indians apparently feel they can't sign C.C.Sabathia, so they did the next best thing: they made certain they'll have Fausto Carmona for a good long time -- maybe through the 2015 season. Yes, it might cost as much as $48 million, but if Carmona gets a sore arm or turns into a head case, the Tribe can opt out of the deal after four years.

This contract makes a lot of sense to me. It's a great deal for Carmona, as well. Now a robust-looking 24-year-old, Carmona was a skinny 17-year-old with horrible dental problems when he signed with the Indians. His stuff is outstanding and he showed great fortitude in a memorable playoff game against the Yankees last October. You'll recall the bugs never bothered him.

Best of all, Carmona rebounded quickly from his 1-10 season in 2006 -- a year in which he flopped miserably in an attempt to make him a closer. No, this kid is a brilliant starting pitcher. It's a please to watch him frustrate hitters, causing them to beat ball after ball into the dirt.

Who knows? Maybe Sabathia will become so frustrated after one more bad start that he'll jump on the Indians bandwagon through the 2015 campaign. We can all dream, right?

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The answer to yesterday's quickie quiz is: The Indians sent Ryan Drese and Einar Diaz to Texas for Travis Hafner.

Today's quiz: Name the Indians closer Fausto Carmona succeeded in 2006.

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-- Kevin Cuneo

Hello Tribe fans everywhere!

I've been on vacation for a week, and so has the Indians' offense. With the exception of C.C. Sabathia, the Tribe's starting pitching has rounded into shape, but the bats are still lame. Radio broadcaster Tom Hamilton repeatedly insulted the youthful Twins during Friday's broadcast, which Cleveland won, thanks to another outstanding pitching performance by Cliff Lee.

It sounded as if Hamilton expected the Indians to blow through the Twins on Saturday and Sunday, but it never happened. Too many key players on this club are hitting .190 or worse, and it's time for GM Mark Shapiro to shake things up a bit. The first move should be to summon Ben Francisco from Buffalo. That's a no-brainer because it wouldn't cost the Indians a significant roster move.

But if Francisco can't help jump-start the offense, Shapiro will probably have to swing a trade for a key bat. I'd love to see Cleveland get a guy like Washington's Ryan Zimmerman -- a young third baseman with some pop. It's that type of move that could help bolster the offense for years to come.

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Today's quickie quiz: Name the Indians' 1976 Man of the Year. Hint: he was the Big Mon.

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-- Kevin Cuneo

Hello Tribe fans everywhere!

Well, tonight's another big night for Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia, who's pitched more like Fred Lasher than Sandy Koufax in his first three starts of 2008. I'm with Cleveland Plain Dealer sports columnist Terry Pluto, who said on his live chat today that he believes Sabathia is experiencing some type of mechanical problem with his delivery.

The big southpaw, who's in the final year of his contract with Cleveland, couldn't have picked a worse time to pitch so poorly. If he continues at this pace, he'll blow millions of dollars in the free agent market. In truth, Sabathia has not pitched well since the start of the post-season games last October.

His control is off, he makes too many pitches, and hitters are crushing the balls he gets up in the strike zone. As Pluto pointed out, Sabathia has been nearing the 100-pitch mark by the fourth inning of every start.

What can the Indians do? Well, it's a given they're checking old footage of Sabathia when he was mowing down American League batters in 2007 -- except in October, as mentioned. They might also be comparing his current pitching form to the six-week-long stretch he endured in 2005 when he pitched horribly.

The hope is that C.C. can pinpoint the problem, as he did in '05, make the needed adjustments and return to his reliable self. The irony is the Indians decided to keep Sabathia this season, instead of trading him to a contender, so they might stand a decent chance of advancing to the World Series. Now he's the worst pitcher on the staff.

Let's hope the Tribe's deep thinkers can spot the flaw in his delivery, and pave the way for the return of the old Sabathia. We miss him.

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The answer to yesterday's quickie quiz is: The Indians 1976 Man of the Year was hard-hitting outfielder Rico Carty. Maybe they should refer to him as their "Mon of the Year."

Today's quiz: Name the Indians pitcher who won 20 or more games from 1905-08 and finished his abbreviated big-league career with 45 shutouts.

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-- Kevin Cuneo

Hello Tribe fans everywhere!

Just when we're ready to bury C.C. Sabathia, Casey Blake and Francisco Cabrera, they all put on their Superman suits and lead the Indians to a 15-1 win over the Royals. Sabathia, with 11 strikeouts in six shutout innings, regained his Cy Young form of 2007, and Blake and Cabrera, mired in season-long slumps, tore the cover off the ball.

So, was it for real, or are the Royals, losers of 5 straight, starting to swirl down the tank again? I guess the next couple of games will tell. It shows that you can't push the panic button too soon, although too many losses in April can come back to bite you in the backside in September -- that is, if you're still in the race.

Though I'm sorry to see Jake Westbrook on the disabled list, it's good to have Ben Francisco up with the big league club again. Unfortunately, Tribe manager Eric Wedge is already talking as if Francisco will be shuffled back to Buffalo when either Jeremy Sowers or Aaron Laffey are promoted to start Saturday's game against the Yankees.

If the offense is still on the blink, why send Francisco down? There are guys in the bullpen who are wrapped in cobwebs, it's been so long since they pitched last. I say leave Benny alone and send one of the hurlers back to the minors.

While we're on the subject, it looks to me as if Andy Marte's days with the Indians are numbered. Perhaps he really doesn't hit or field well enough to play at the big league level, but have the Indians really given him a chance this spring? I think not. He gets in at the tail end of games, with little opportunity to show that he can or can't do the job. If Marte eventually gets the boot, which appears likely, and then he turns into a bonafide big league player, there will be hell to pay. You'd think the Indians would have learned their lesson from the Brandon Phillips fiasco.

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The answer to yesterday's quickie quiz is: Addie Joss was a brilliant pitcher for the Indians in the early days of the 20th century. Tragically, he died at age 31 from tubercular meningitis.

Today's quiz: Name the current Tribesman who was the American League's youngest position player to start for a team in 2003.

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-- Kevin Cuneo

Hello Tribe fans everywhere!

Tonight's doubleheader in Kansas City, followed by a big series against the Yankees this weekend, would normally wreak havoc with Cleveland's pitching rotation -- especially now that Jake Westbrook is on the disabled list. But one of the club's greatest strengths is its depth of starting pitching, not only on the big-league team, but also at Buffalo.

It appears that Jeremy Sowers and Aaron Laffey, two starters in Buffalo, will both be summoned to Cleveland in the next day or two. Both are excellent young pitchers who have already enjoyed success on the major league level. Right behind Sowers and Laffey is Adam Miller, a most promising young hurler whose only weakness has been his inability to remain healthy.

With Brian Slocum also pitching well at Buffalo, and Chuck Lofgren on the rise as well, the Indians should be able to ride out C.C. Sabathia's expected departure for free agency at the end of this season.

You never want to lose a talent like Sabathia, but it would be unfair to keep Sowers, Laffey and the others down on the farm forever. In the scheme of Cleveland's small-market economics, the trick will be to develop strong young arms just as the experienced vets are poised to bolt for free agency. It's not the best of all worlds, but, considering the club's financial constraints, it might be the only way to ensure the franchise's success.

A major challenge facing the Indians at the moment is to find a way to continue the young pitchers' development without ruining their spirit. In other words, General Manager Mark Shapiro and Manager Eric Wedge, must introduce the kids to the Indians' lineup before they start to go backwards at Buffalo.

You don't want to lose an established big leaguer like Westbrook, but it's time to see how Sowers and Laffey can fare in the bigs on a long-term basis. A trade might not be a good idea at this point, with Sabathia and, possibly, Paul Byrd, expected to take flight after this season.

Might be fun to see how all this turns out.

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The answer to yesterday's quickie quiz is: Jhonny Peralta was the American League's youngest position player in 2003. Regular Tribe shortstop Omar Vizquel missed much of that season with a bad knee, and Peralta, then only 20 (he later turned 21 during the season), became Cleveland's starting shortstop.

Today's quiz: Vic Power started at first base for four seasons for the Tribe in the late '50s and early '60s. Name the future two-time A.L. MVP Cleveland traded for Power and shortstop Woodie Held.

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-- Kevin Cuneo

Hello Tribe fans everywhere!

Thank goodness the Pirates wanted an arm and a leg for Jason Bay. Cliff Lee wasn't enough, as the Bucs demanded Adam Miller and other prized farmhands. Fortunately, Cleveland General Manager Mark Shapiro backed off last December, thinking, perhaps, that he might need Lee in 2009, after C.C. Sabathia and Paul Byrd departed.

Or maybe Shapiro was thinking he could use Lee as trade bait in the spring. Either way, Lee was damaged goods after a miserable 2007 season -- a year in which he couldn't even make the playoff roster after spending most of the second half of the year in Buffalo. But the 29-year-old lefthander showed grim determination in spring training to make the club, and his grit paid off.

As the fifth starter in the Indians' rotation, it was hoped Lee might win 11-12 games. But with Thursday's 3-hit shutout of Kansas City, Lee improved his record to 4-0. He's allowed only 1 run in just under 32 innings of work. It means his earned run average is a spectacular 0.28.

Lee could always pitch. From 2004-06, he averaged 16 wins per season and posted an 18-5 record in 2005. That's why his fall from grace was so spectacular a year ago. He quarreled on the field with catcher Victor Martinez and sulked once he was demoted to Buffalo. But Lee has pulled it together and has never pitched more effectively than he is right now. It couldn't come at a better time, as the Indians have stumbled out of the starting gate.

Thanks to Cliff, however, they swept the Royals and take a three-game winning streak into the opener of tonight's series against the Yankees.

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The answer to yesterday's quickie quiz is: Vic Power and Woodie Held came to the Indians from Kansas City in 1958 in a trade for Roger Maris. Yes, that Roger Maris. Would have been nice to have Maris and Rocky Colavito in the same outfield in Cleveland during their prime seasons. Oops! Colavito played in Detroit during his prime.

Today's quiz: Name the current Cleveland players whose middle name is Phifer.

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-- Kevin Cuneo

Hello Tribe fans everywhere!

Already we're seeing why the Indians never should have dispatched Ben Francisco to Buffalo as quickly as they did. Grady Sizemore turned an ankle late in Saturday's game against the Yankees and was unable to play on Sunday. Chien-Ming Wang shut Cleveland down on four hits yesterday, so perhaps Sizemore's loss didn't mean anything, but it would have given Indians fans a better feeling to have Francisco in the lineup, rather than both David Dellucci and Jason Michaels.

With Franklin Gutierrez in center, it gave the Indians a weak-hitting outfield. Actually, Dellucci has been having a decent year at the plate, but Michaels (.173) and Gutierrez (.227) are still suffering. When you're facing really good pitching, you need every good hitter you can get.

That's why I don't understand why the Indians stay with a player like Ryan Garko when he's really in a slump. Garko fanned three times Sunday and his average has now slipped to .238. Why not go with Victor Martinez at first and move Kelly Shoppach behind the plate? You never lose anything with Shoppach's defense, and considering Garko's slump, he might have been an improvement at bat. Shoppach can hit for the long ball on occasion.

As it was, the Indians wasted a superb pitching performance by C.C. Sabathia, who surrendered only a solo homer by Melky Cabrera in his 8 innings of work.

One more note about Wang. The guy's not shy about making his point. As Michaels went to bunt, Wang, who had excellent control all day long, suddenly fired a pitch right at the right fielder's head. Michaels was lucky to just spin out of the way.

Later, after Sabathia pitched out of a jam and pumped his arm with emotion several times on the mound, Wang hit Garko with a pitch. Kind of interesting.

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The answer to the last quickie quiz is: Cliff Lee's middle name is Phifer.

Today's quiz: Who was the player Tribe GM Frank Lane talking about when he traded Rocky Colavito and quipped, "I just traded a hamburger for a steak." Name the steak.

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-- Kevin Cuneo

Hello Tribe fans everywhere!

Just when the Indians have a great opportunity to win a series from the Yankees, they let two games get away. Worse, they scored a total of just 2 runs in the final two games. Grady Sizemore is still nursing a bad ankle, Ryan Garko and Travis Hafner can't hit a lick, and Cleveland's offense continues to spiral down the toilet.

Yes, I know the Tribe reeled off five wins in a row before these two disappointing setbacks, but most of the hitters have struggled mightily in recent weeks. Thank goodness Cleveland's starting pitching has been so good, of this club would be wallowing down in the cellar with the Tigers.

What's making me so grumpy is the Indians' refusal to take steps to solve the problems. Why can't Victor Martinez move to first for a while to give Garko a chance to pull himself together? If they don't want to uproot Martinez from behind the plate, why not shift Casey Blake to first and put Andy Marte on third for a couple of games. Marte is just rotting on the bench, and the Indians still don't know if he can play or not. If they've decided he can't play, them ship him off someplace else.

Mostly, what the club could use is some speed to shake things up. They need to promote Ben Francisco, put him in the outfield and leave him there until he proved he can't do the job. Jamey Carroll is not the answer at second base. The boldest move of all would be to shift Jhonny Peralta to third, put Asdrubal Cabrera at shortstop, and call Josh Barfield up from Buffalo to play second base.

Francisco and Barfield can run, which means they might be able to give the offense a spark. Hafner is a major concern, too, although nobody hits particularly well when the weather is so cold.

It's not good enough, however, to sit and twiddle your thumbs, with players like David Dellucci and Jason Michaels in your starting lineup. The Indians can do better. They have the players available now to give it a shot. I suggest they make these moves now before I throw my TV set through a window.

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The answer to yesterday's quiz is: Harvey Kuenn was the "steak" Frank Lane traded "hamburger" Rocky Colavito for.

Today's quiz: Which one of the following never worked as an Indians broadcaster on radio or TV:
Herb Score, Bruce Drennan, Mike Hegan, Vern Fuller, Rocky Colavito.

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-- Kevin Cuneo

Hello Tribe fans everywhere!

Because so many Indians hitters are mired in horrible slumps, it doesn't seem fair to single out one player and blame him for Cleveland's offensive woes. But Travis Hafner was such a splendid hitter in 2005 and '06, and he appeared to be so locked in, that you automatically assumed he would remain one of the league's top sluggers for the next 5-6 seasons. Now it looks as if it will never happen.

Today, in his live chat for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes compared Hafner to Carlos Baerga, another Indian favorite who suddenly lost it. Baerga, one of the best hitters in baseball, batted no lower than .312 for four straight seasons. Then, in the fifth year, in 1996, he mysteriously stopped hitting. He was only 28, but, amazingly, he was finished. Traded to the Mets on July 29, 1996, he was only a mediocre player for the rest of his career, which lasted just three more years.

Baerga was the heart and soul of those great Indians teams, just as Hafner is today. But, as Hoynes pointed out, what Hafner is going through could no longer be called a slump. Since last May, he's been a less-than-mediocre DH. This season, he's hitting .210 and looks like the same old shlub. Hafner fouls off fat pitches he used to cream, and he appears to have lost his confidence.

Nobody knows if it was the hand he broke when hit by a pitch late in 2006, or the shifts teams began throwing at him. But Hafner is not the player he was. Now, it's probably too soon to panic. We're only a month into the season, after all. But to Cleveland fans, the current Travis Hafner bears no resemblance at all to the Pronk we came to love in 2004-2006.

Worst of all, the Indians really need him. Their offense is already shaky, and if Hafner's skills have vanished, as it appears they have, the club will be forced to make some hard decisions. Because of his long-term contract, he probably wouldn't be easy to trade. I don't know what the Indians can do for him, frankly, but he's killing the team -- as bad as Jason Michaels and some of the other shlubs.

Pronk's a good guy who graciously give of his time to the community, but, as a baseball slugger, I think Hoynes might be right. Hafner looks like the Carlos Baerga of 1996, and that's not a good thing at all.

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The answer to yesterday's quickie quiz is: Vern Fuller never served as a broadcaster for the Indians.

Today's quiz: Name the Tribe first baseman of the 1960's, who was known as "The Yankee Killer."

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-- Kevin Cuneo