When the Indians' mini-dynasty of the 1990s was torn down at the turn of the century, fans were told the team was building again with an eye toward contending in 2005. The team was right on schedule, finishing just short of the playoffs but building a foundation with young players who should get the team over the top soon.
The Indians got off to a slow start and were 15 games behind the White Sox in the American League Central in July, but surged to a 39-18 record right after the All-Star break. Cleveland never caught the White Sox, but led the wild-card race with seven games to play before faltering in the final week of the season. Still, the team improved by 13 wins over 2004 with a core of players like DH Travis Hafner, who hit 11 home runs in September, and lefthander Cliff Lee, who won 18 games.
The best pitcher on the staff was veteran Kevin Millwood, who led the AL with a 2.86 ERA, but he departed for the Rangers as a free agent after the season. Most of the team's other key players, though, should be around for years. Victor Martinez continued his emergence as one of the best offensive catchers in baseball, batting .305 with 33 doubles, and the staff had two more 15-game winners in C.C. Sabathia and Jake Westbrook. Lee, Sabathia and Westbrook are 28 or younger and anchor a staff that led the AL in ERA at 3.61 for the first time since 1996.
The Indians made few major moves over the winter because they like their roster as presently constructed, and the trends of the past few years indicate they should improve on their 93 wins in 2006. Whether that's enough in the suddenly rugged AL Central remains to be seen. |
