The Cleveland Indians used to dominate the Cincinnati Reds during their annual inter-league series, but no more. It was the Reds who flexed their muscles in a three-game sweep over the weekend. The losses bumped the Tribe out of first place and reminded Indians fans of a very bad trade.

Brandon Phillips might be a loudmouth and a braggart, but, man, can he play baseball. Worse, he's exactly what the Indians need -- a power-hitting middle infielder who can run and hit for average. The Indians more or less gave him away because they didn't like his attitude. That trade and the Kevin Kouzmanoff-for-Josh Barfield deal with San Diego really hurt the Indians.

Kouzmanoff, a third baseman, is batting .270 for the Padres, while Barfield continues to languish in the minors, where he's batting about .250. The Indians must feel Barfield does not have a future as a big leaguer. Otherwise, he'd be up in Cleveland and Jamey Carroll, who's hitting .194, would be on the bench.

It looks as if the Tribe will have to make a trade, which means they'll be forced to part with one of their young pitchers -- Aaron Laffey or Jeremy Sowers. What a pity it would be to trade one of these two, especially when it looks as if the Indians will be without C.C. Sabathia and Paul Byrd in 2009.

I'm a fan of Mark Shapiro, but trading Phillips and Kouzmanoff really hurt the club. It appears the decisions to re-sign Jake Westbrook and Travis Hafner are also turning out to be horrible calls. Westbrook has become injury prone and Hafner appears to have lost it. And now the Indians have nearly $100 million locked up in those two players -- money that could have been spent to resign Sabathia.

I guess the Tribe will have to make a deal to add some offense to the lineup. The Indians can't keep limping along with these hitless wonders. The shame of it is that the starting rotation has pitched so superbly.

It's not Shapiro's fault that the Indians can't hit, but he's the one who assembled this crew and must accept responsibility for their failure.

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Quickie quiz: Name the Texas banker who played a solid third base for the Tribe in the 1960s.

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-- Kevin Cuneo

I knew Cliff Lee was a much better pitcher than what he showed last season -- a year marred by injury -- but who knew he was this good? Lee hurled 7 shutout innings against the Yankees last night, leading the Indians to their second straight win over the Bronx Bombers. It was the latest in a string of excellent starts, and Lee, named April's "Pitcher of the Month," is 6-0 with an 0.81 earned run average.

It shows you how important confidence is -- especially for a major league athlete. Lee, who averaged 16 wins per season from 2004-06, was a former All-Star who clearly knew how to pitch. But it all fell apart a year ago after he suffered an injury in spring training. When he finally returned to the rotation, the southpaw couldn't keep the ball down, and hitters were murdering him. Lee grew so frustrated that, after beaning Sammy Sosa, he tangled publicly -- not once, but twice -- with Tribe catcher Victor Martinez.

Lee was sent to the minors shortly after the incident. It was a bitter experience for the veteran, and he did not take the demotion well. Indians officials played hardball with him, too, by failing to promote him until the end of the regular season, and then by leaving him off the post-season roster.

Some observers, myself included, felt the Indians treated Lee way too harshly. After the season, he was so damaged he no longer had significant value as trade bait.

As it turned out, the Indians were fortunate they didn't deal Lee. He's been one of the club's few bright spots this season and is the main reason why, despite their rocky start, the Indians stand just one game out of first place today in the A.L. Central Division.

Lee was always a good guy during his numerous visits to Erie, and it's gratifying to see him pitching well again. Hope he keeps it up.

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The answer to yesterday's quickie quiz is: No, Jhonny Peralta is not a college graduate, although he did attend Collejo Pedagojico in Santiago in the Domincan Republic.

Today's quiz: Name the big league club that originally signed Cliff Lee.

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-- Kevin Cuneo

David Dellucci's tough start in 2007, followed by a season-ending hamstring injury, put a giant target on his back for Cleveland fans. Of all the players they love to hate, Dellucci was the one they hated most. They blamed him for keeping Ben Francisco in the minors, they blamed him for butchering balls in the outfield, they blamed him when he stranded runners.

Then a funny thing happened in 2008. Practically every Indians hitter, with the exception of Victor Martinez, lapsed into a deep slump. Everyone, that is, but Dellucci. He's hit consistently from opening day, and his pinch-hit, 3-run home run last night propelled the Tribe past the Yankees, 5-3.

You have to give Dellucci credit for blocking out all the negativity and just doing his job. From all reports, he's a solid teammate and a hard worker. He never lost faith in his own ability, even though have the sportswriters and broadcasters in Cleveland called him the worst Indians outfielder since Russ Nagelson.

Is he playing over his head? Depends who you talk to. Dellucci's only been a .260 hitter through much of his career, but he's got power, and has enjoyed seasons when he hit as many as 27 home runs. That would be a godsend in this year of meager offensive output.

Dellucci absolutely came through for Cleveland last night when it needed him most. Despite playing miserably in the first six weeks of the season, the Indians are still only a game and a half out of first. It means they can still win the division -- but only if they start playing with some consistency.

A few more heroics like the kind Dellucci provided last night is all it would take.

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The answer to yesterday's quickie quiz: False. Gaylord Perry won only one Cy Young Award with the Indians. He did win a second award while pitching with San Diego.

Today's quiz: True or False -- Jhonny Peralta is a college graduate.

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-- Kevin Cuneo

And now the tinkering begins. Cleveland General Manager Mark Shapiro knows his ball club has many areas that need immediate attention, and he started the process Monday by cutting Jason Michaels and promoting Ben Francisco. It's a move long overdue, because it's time the Indians decide if Francisco can play or not. He'll get a long look in the outfield.

You also get the feeling the Indians are on the verge of making a fairly significant trade. My only fear is that Aaron Laffey, Jason Sowers or Adam Miller will be a part of a deal. With C.C. Sabathia set to move on to greener pastures after this season, the Indians will need the three young hurlers. It would make more sense to trade Sabathia. Cleveland will be finished with the Yankees for the season after this week, so why not trade him to New York?

Yes, I know it sounds like lunacy, but it doesn't make any sense to get nothing in return for the 2007 Cy Young Award winner. Now that Sabathia has straightened out his mechanics, he would be a welcome addition to practically anybody's pitching staff, but only clubs that can afford to sign him would likely be interested. Though he's pitched well for Cleveland in recent outings, he only has one victory, so it's not as if he'd be greatly missed from this team.

The Tribe needs offense, yes, but it could also use a closer and help at third base. But, I repeat: it cannot afford to lose Sowers, Laffey or Miller. Except for Victor Martinez and Grady Sizemore, everyone else should be on the trading block.

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The answer to the last quickie quiz is: the Tribe previously played at Municipal Stadium and, before that, League Park.

Today's quiz: Tue or false -- Gaylord Perry won two Cy Young awards for the Indians.

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-- Kevin Cuneo

For all the turmoil the Indians are in -- and don't kid yourself, this team has problems -- they're very lucky nobody else is off to a hot start in the A.L. Central Division. Only the White Sox, at 14-12, are over .500, and they've lost two straight, and four of their last six. The Indians, at 14-15, are tied for second with the Tigers.

Both Cleveland and Detroit should thank their lucky stars the White Sox did not break out to a 21-5 start. Such a mediocre beginning by every team in the division means the Indians and the Tigers, who stumbled throughout most of April, did not lose any ground to speak of.

Does that mean the Tribe need not worry about its anemic offense or leaky bullpen? Absolutely not. The offense clearly needs another bat and could use more speed (paging Ben Francisco!), an the bullpen is hampered by the lack of an effective closer.

Two poor outings this week by Rafael Betancourt makes me think he lacks the fire in the belly to close games. Betancourt was one of baseball's best set-up men in 2007, but he's been underwhelming as a replacement closer since Joe Borowski went on the disabled list. I was thinking Masa Kobayashi, a longtime closer in Japan, would be the natural replacement for Borowski until he entered last night's game in the 9th inning and promptly surrendered a first-pitch home run to Richie Sexson.

Cleveland eventually pulled out a 3-2 win in 11 innings, but a brilliant pitching performance by Paul Byrd was wasted, and several other screwups marred the evening. On the bright side, Travis Hafner returned to the lineup and batted sixth. He responded with two doubles and looked better at the plate than he has in weeks. Maybe he was feeling too much pressure.

The weather should be warming soon, which means the hitting could come around, but it's a shame so many outstanding pitching performances have gone for naught. Cleveland's lucky to be in position for a fresh start during the merry month of May.

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The answer to the last quickie quiz is: Fred "Wingy" Whitfield was the "Yankee Killer" during the 1960s.

Today's quiz: Progressive Field is the new name of Jacobs Field, home of the Tribe since 1994. Name the other two ballparks where the Indians played prior to that season.

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-- Kevin Cuneo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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