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INDIANS LOWDOWN |
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|  | | Chuck Finley's rare feat has been accomplished only 38 times. |
1999: 97-65
Runs: 1,009, 1st in AL
Allowed: 860, 8th in AL
Key facts
Manny Ramirez's 165 RBI last year were the most by a major leaguer in 61 years.
Bartolo Colon, who was 18-5 in '99, was the first Indians pitcher to win 18 games since Greg Swindell in 1988.
Omar Vizquel's .333 batting average of a year ago was 58 points better than his .275 career mark.
Tim Kurkjian's scenarios
Best-case: They pour through the regular season, Chuck Finley beats the Yankees in the playoffs and Cleveland wins the World Series for the first time since 1948.
Worst-case: They pour through the season and lose in the first round for the second year in a row.
Prediction: 1st in AL Central
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For years, the Cleveland Indians have been in search of a No. 1 starting pitcher. They took runs at Roger Clemens, Alex Fernandez, Pedro Martinez and Randy Johnson, but ultimately missed on all of them.
Who knows how many championships the Indians might have accumulated had they had a bonafide front-of-the-rotation starter the last five seasons. As it is, the Indians got to two World Series, and were three outs away from winning it all in 1997.
Last winter, having balked at the trading deadline asking price from the Anaheim Angels for Chuck Finley, the Indians finally got their man, giving the free agent a three-year, $27 million deal.
But does Finley still qualify as a No. 1 starter.
At 37, Finley is durable, having made 32 or more starts in four of the last five seasons. He's also one of the game's few power lefties; he finished second in the AL in strikeouts, posting 200 or more strikeouts in three of the last four years.
But Finley has averaged just 12 victories over the last three years and hasn't won more than 13 games since 1996. In fact, since 1992, Finley is just nine games over .500.
Finley might have been a nice addition to a good staff, slotted somewhere in the middle of the rotation. But being asked to be the ace for a team in which anything less than a World Series appearance would constitute a disappointment may be too much to ask from Finley.
The Indians may have been better off waiting for Bartolo Colon to continue his development and allocate their resources toward the bullpen.
Cleveland has quantity in their relievers, with Paul Shuey, Sean DePaula, Ricardo Rincon and Steve Karsay, but none has a track record of saving games on the major league level.
As good as the Indians are -- and they literally have an All-Star at every position -- it's a gambit to begin the season without a proven closer.
-- Sean McAdam
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Lineup comments and grades from ESPN The Magazine
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Player
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Comment
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Grade
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D. Roberts/
J. Cruz, CF
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Speed-glove/gap power-good arm. They'll sit when Kenny Lofton returns in June
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D
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Omar Vizquel, SS
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Dissed early in career as "Omar the Outmaker," now best No. 2 hitter in game
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A
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R. Alomar, 2B
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Batting third made him more disciplined. Saw most pitches of any hitter in AL
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A
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M. Ramirez, RF
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They may not re-sign him, but don't look for July 31 trade unless hell freezes over
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A
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Jim Thome, 1B
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Key to 40+ bombs? Hit off-speed pitches to left, get more fastballs to crush
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A
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R. Sexson, LF
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Team's best defensive 1B, but Thome doesn't want to give up glove just yet
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B
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David Justice, DH
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Most likely to be traded. Perfect fit as Yankees' DH? Yeah, that'll happen
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C
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Travis Fryman, 3B
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Still hobbled by knee injury. Still plays every game as if it were his last
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C
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Sandy Alomar, C
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Knees might restrict him to 90 games. Unsung backup Einar Diaz eases concern
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B
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Pitching comments and grades from ESPN The Magazine
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Pitcher
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Comment
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Grade
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Chuck Finley, SP
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Yankee Killer is Indians' first genuine LH ace since Greg Swindell was young
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A
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Bartolo Colon, SP
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Reported looking like Rich Garces. Indians say weight gain's in his legs. Uh-huh
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B
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Charles Nagy, SP
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Not facing other teams' aces could mean 20 wins -- if he avoids usual stretch fade
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B
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Dave Burba, SP
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Until he got hurt, team's best second-half pitcher. Arm's been fine so far
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B
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Steve Karsay, RP
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Throwing lights-out in Florida, but he's always one pitch away from DL
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C
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Paul Shuey, RP
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Has the stuff. Question is whether he has makeup to close
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C
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