Thoughts about the 2-4 road trip and the week ahead.
For as wonderful as the fast start has been, the Cleveland Indians have shown so far that the American League Central is not their favorite division. The Cleveland Indians, in their latest road trip, played all division foes. They finished 2-4. Add this to the previous series against the White Sox and they are 3-6 in the American League Central.
Add this to the ugly reality that the bullpen has proved to be mortal, blowing a save this past week to the Royals and not protecting a lead yesterday to the Twins and panic for some has set in.
Yesterday also, the Indians' Carlos Carrasco had elbow tightness and will have to most likely miss some time on the DL. If this happens as expected, he will be added to a list that already has Mitch Talbot, another successful key to the 2011 rotation.
With all these negative outcomes from the road trip, it is no wonder that the bandwagon feels much, much lighter. It is easy to bash this team and get crazy with pessimistic tweets. However I read this quote that put me into a better mood and helped me learn something. "Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all"...G. K. Chesterton
So many Indians fans can get emotional over a 8 game winning streak and get as or more emotional over the current 3 game losing streak because the outlook is now sending us into this hopeless feeling that all these media bashers of Cleveland are indeed right. (5th place, 4th place...no better...lucky but this wont last...this team stinks...85-100 losses easily) This town deserves better.
Let us fans, hope! Look at the fact and the possibilities! The Cleveland Indians are still in first place. For as rough as the road trip ended, we still are on top. We have an opportunity to win some games in the division at home where we are 7-2. Carrasco and Talbot may be hurt but we have Huff and Gomez. Gomez kept us in the game yesterday and we had opportunities to score. Huff is capable of filling in for Carrasco. This will give Huff and Gomez a chance to prove they are worthy of being up here in the majors.
The team needs to rise up to this challenge and get back to playing FUN-da-mental baseball. It is easier to hope but hard to to realize. It is my hope that this team, in between the raindrops, can get back to winning baseball games. Opportunities are here and must be grasped to do this. Let us cherish this, Indians fans, and not dismiss it.
