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A Season to Remember – 1-2-2007
2007 was a remarkable year for the upstart Cleveland Indians

It started with Grady Sizemore’s leadoff homerun in the first game of the season en route to a 12-5 victory in division rival Chicago’s home ballpark. It continued with an opening weekend series in Cleveland that resembled a Browns game in December, not an early spring baseball series. Then the Tribe clinched the division on September 23, which led to the romp of the New York Yankees and a nail-biting league series against the Boston Red Sox, resulting in the Indians departing in seven games.

While the last three games of the season leave much to be desired, 2007 was truly the most enjoyable Cleveland Indians club since the 1997 team. With a less-than-competitive payroll, this team is built on quality management and good character players who have a “team first” mentality.

While 2007 was an absolute delight, the best may be yet to come.

MVP: No other player impacts every aspect of the Indians game like Victor Martinez. He is as good of a hitter as any catcher in the Major Leagues, but his play behind the plate goes overlooked at times. The pitching staff truly responds to him, and it would be hard to argue that the pitching staff’s success isn’t somewhat attributed to his play calling. Plus his ability to throw out base stealers drastically improved and impacted opponents’ running on the base paths. He is the leader of the Cleveland Indians on and off the field.

Worst signing: The Tribe brought in David Dellucci for three years at the cost of $11.5 million. Now this designation is slightly unfair, due to an injury that kept him out for the second half of the season. But this was a suspect signing when it was made due to the fact that Dellucci has rarely been used as a full-time player in his career, and $11.5 is a steep price for a guy who wouldn’t bat against left handed pitching and owns a career batting average of .261.

Best Emerging Player: Where do we begin? There’s a group of five that come to mind. Fausto Carmona, Rafael Perez and Franklin Gutierrez played extraordinarily throughout the entire year. Asdrubal Cabrera and Jensen Lewis came onto the scene late and were as crucial as any individual down the stretch. This new young core mixed with the “old, new core” of Martinez, CC Sabathia, Travis Hafner, Sizemore, and Jake Westbrook can be as formidable as any group in baseball.

2008 Outlook: The Indians proved they can play with the best after embarrassing the Yankees and going toe-to-toe with the eventual champion Red Sox. With a year of experience under their belt along with tremendous depth in the pitching staff, the sky is the limit for not only this year, but the next few years to come.

It would be a nightmare for the team to take a step back like they did in 2006 after a promising 2005. The Central has improved, but this team in hungry, and they have a city chalk full of crazed, starving fans supporting them. If the Indians pick up in 2008 right where they left off in 2007, then there should be plenty to cheer for during the upcoming season.

Tags: asdrubal cabrera, cc sabathia, david dellucci, fausto carmona, franklin gutierrez, grady sizemore, jake westbrook, jensen lewis, rafael perez, travis hafner, victor martinez