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Originally Posted by goddfather40
pan,
Just curious, but what do you see as the difference for the Tribe this year compared to other teams who have had very hot second halves the last few years, like the A's? What is the difference that you see for them getting into the World Series (and winning?). I'm just wondering, because trust me I don't see my Angels getting there at this point...too much inconsistent hitting and bullpen.
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Good question.
It's that everyone is in sync. It's like '95 only with pitching and no superstar attitudes (i.e. Albert Belle).
If Hafner is down, Sizemore is there or Blake or Boone or Belliard or Martinez.
The bullpen and starting ptching have been great this year, the funk earlier came because you had a yound team that wasn't hitting. Now the bats are alive, the pitching hasn't tired (which is usually the case when the hitting is as bad as Cleveland's was), if anything the pitching is getting stronger.
Another factor is they have been winning at home and the crowds are coming back. And whether people want to believe it or not there is a mystique at the Jake and when that place starts rocking it's like no other park in baseball (and I have been to quite a few and I'll take a rockin' Jake over any of the others) and the team is truly energized and is unstoppable.
The fact that these players will be around for a few more years is exciting especially when the likes of Martinez, Sizemore, CC and so on have signed multi-year contracts forgoing F/A and adding time here. That was unheard of with the 90's teams, the players signed long term to avoid arbitration (which was Hart's genius) but they all left (Thome, Manny, Belle) the second they had the chance (except Lofton, who came back after the trade to Atlanta debacle).
There's just something magical this year about the way they have comeback. Now will they be a force in future years? That truly depends on if the pitching is real or just a fluke. Is Millwood that good or just pitching for a long term high pay contract and once he gets it he's injured again? Another who knows question, but this year he has the magic.
The Tribe may lose and not even get a W/C but I wouldn't trade their second half excitement for anything, the magic of '05 and for some reason there's hope again in Cleveland to become a true powerhouse again.