Warpath

If there’s a #1 reason to be skeptical about the Indians this year, it’s that in 2005 they had three seriously subpar offensive players at positions that should have produced a lot of runs – Ben Broussard at first base, Casey Blake in right field, and Aaron Boone at third base – and haven’t replaced any of them. I noted this in my AL Central preview.
Through tonight’s 8-RBI rampage by Broussard, however, the two of the three who had hit well in 2004 – Broussard and Blake – were off to a torrid start, .407/.661/.444 for Broussard, .351/.527/.429 for Blake. That could be a good sign – these guys aren’t old, so they do still have the possibility of running off a year like 2004 again, and if they do that, the Cleveland lineup gets pretty scary. Plus, if one of them had to struggle out of the gate, best it be Boone, since in Andy Marte they already have an upgrade waiting in the wings. Of course, not everyone else in the Indians lineup is killing the ball yet – Ronnie Belliard’s been mediocre, and Jhonny Peralta and Jason Michaels are way off their previous paces. And it’s early yet; those hot starts could become a millstone if Broussard and Blake sink back to last year’s level in slow stages until it’s too late to do anything about them. But for now, it’s an encouraging start.