Jason Plautz

“OH GEEZ OH GEEZ ONE GAME AWAY”

Who would have thought that the huge game 4 of this great ALCS would be completely unremarkable for eight innings. Really, if you take the bottom of the 5th and top of the 6th out of last night’s Indians-Red Sox game, it was a real snoozefest. But oh, those two half-innings were things of beauty, weren’t they? First, the Indians played a little charades. The answer? Inning 11 of game 2. The clue? Scoring seven runs. Did you figure that one out? Then the Sox answered with a little LCS history: back-to-back-to-back homers. Those two outbursts showed just how dangerous these lineups can be when everybody starts clicking.

Also, it’s worth noting that Paul Byrd is doing a little Josh Beckett imitation, trying to dominate every postseason game he starts. Stretching back to his ‘05 shutout of the White Sox, he’s been quite the October pitcher. Kenny Lofton also etched his name in postseason history by breaking Rickey Henderson’s record for October stolen bases (in the 5th, of course). This team is clicking on all cylinders, and that’s without C.C. and Fausto looking like themselves. Barring a comeback only the Red Sox could execute, this red-hot Indians team is headed for a showdown with the so-hot-no-color-can-even-describe-it Rockies for a great World Series featuring two up-and-coming powerhouses.

Aaron Morse

“If this keeps up, I’ll be the only person not from Colorado or Cleveland who will watch the World Series this year”

Tim Wakefield was making me feel like a genius until the fifth inning hit. It shows the maturity of the Indians’ hitters that they made adjustments to the knuckleball and were able to parlay that into a gigantic seven run inning. Manny Delcarmen didn’t exactly help Wakefield’s cause when he came in for the veteran knuckleballer. Meanwhile, Boston’s X Factor Mike Lowell went 0-4. My (belated) pick for the Indians to win the World Series is looking better and better, but they may have to wait until game six to clinch this series. The Sox have Josh Beckett going in game five, and Josh Beckett simply does not lose playoff games. The Indians just seem to get a different hero every night, tonight it was Casey Blake. Travis Hafner went 0-4 with four K’s but it didn’t matter. One more to clinch, and to send FOX into a panic…I can’t wait.

Patrick St. Michel

“Seriously, shut up Dane Cook”

With all the hoopla surrounding the scrappy Colorado Rockies and their fables “Rocktober run,” you may have forgotten the sad, sad story of the Cleveland Indians, who now sit (Indian style?) one game away from the Fall Classic. Besides those loveable losers on the Northside, the Indians are the longest sufferring club in the MLB, without a championship banner since 1948. The city of Cleveland stanks even more – no major sports franchise has won squat in a long, long time. Not even the WNBA team!

One reason a lot of people forget about the Tribe’s agony – they were pretty hateable back in the 90’s. During that decade of alternative rock and Tamagotchis, I always saw the Indians as the number two team behind those heathen Yankees. I mean, they did make two World Series appearances back then. Then, the wig-wam fell apart (seriously, the name may be outdated) and the Indians sucked for a while. And now they are back as a gritty team that is actually likeable. I say the Indians take the series in the next game, and Cleveland will be rockin very soon.

Oh, and Boston sucks, good night everyone!