We're good

Not FCF - we're inept, and enormously lazy. I mean "we" as in "The Cleveland Indians."

While I'm here, it's time for me to rail against people who complain about a fan of a club speaking in the first person plural while discussing said club. This nemesis of mine will say something idiotic like, "we? you're not on the team" to which I say: suck it. To me, when you're a dedicated fan of a team, you're a part of it. It IS "we." When one says "they" or "them," that's the opponent. If anything, the first-person usage clarifies things. Consider these conversations:

Random coworker: "How'd the Indians do last night?"
Me: "We won!"

Completely unambiguous. And awesome that the Tribe won (3 straight now). OK, now check this:

Random coworker: "How'd the Indians do last night?"
Me: "They won."

Who? The Tribe? Some team I hate? The Washington Generals? The questioner is left wondering if I've third-personed them, much like you, the reader, are now wondering if I'm the first person ever to use "third-person" as a verb. But semi-seriously, am I calling our nemesis "they"? Who the hell knows?

But besides that, it's completely legit for me to call a team I actively support "we." I'm a part of the Cleveland Indians community, and if you're reading this, you probably are too. I have a fridge magnet with the Tribe logo. I have a clock with the Chief. They both say "#1 Fan." I went to a game with Nick and Figgs where it was like 40 out and the whole stadium was filled with fat Tiger fans. I'm in "The Tribe," the Indians fan club I joined so I could basically get free MLB Radio. I write a fucking blog about the Cleveland Indians. I've been in the Tribe Social Deck. I MOVED TO CLEVELAND IN LARGE PART SO THAT I COULD WALK TO PROGRESSIVE FIELD (BUT IT WAS ALSO A GOOD CAREER OPPORTUNITY). I care more about the franchise than most of its players. Ask David Huff if he remembers Wayne Kirby.

We.

ANYWAY, the Indians are playing some good ball! Undefeated in August. Consider the post-all-star-break-results-random-hyphens:

Detroit: Swept 4-game series (Tribe Weekend!)
@Minnesota: Won 2 of 3
Tampa Bay: Won 1 of 3 (I type optimistically; this is the baseball equivalent of "partly sunny" instead of "mostly cloudy")
new york yankees: Won 1 of 4
@Toronto: Won 2 of 3
@Boston: Won 1 of 1 (so far)

That's 11 of 18 authored by, basically, the Columbus Clippers, against .567-ball AL competition. I'll take it, all day. Are we gonna lose some of those one-runner's we've been winning? Sure. But some of them will become 3-run wins, while some become losses - everything evens out in baseball. But at least the Tribe is exciting - they've been sporting a lockdown 'pen, a solid rotation (if an improbably young one), and an offense that never seems to score a superfluous run. A few random notes before I put the finishing touches on probably the only FCF piece you'll see this August:

- Chris Perez is my favorite Indian. I like everything about him: the badass hair, the respectful and energetic postgame chats with Hammy, the crazy stuff he chucks towards the plate, the 2.13 ERA, the 13/14 on saves. I haven't looked forward to a Tribe closer taking the mound since basically Mike Jackson (well, Wickman, but for largely comedic reasons), and I'm happy to be back. I see CP out there and I book a win.

- Quibble about the returns from the Peralta/Kearns/Wood/Westbrook deals if you will, but do not forget: none of them were worth anything to us going forward. Nothing. The Wood deal is particularly impressive to me - basically, the spanks are paying us $1.5 million for me not to have to watch him pitch for the Indians anymore. I woulda chipped in had they asked. We've got a closer who stays healthy and gets people out, thanks.

- The jury is out on Santana's injury, but I'm not stoked about a Gimenez/Marson catching arrangement for the rest of 2010.

- Josh Tomlin does NOT look like he's getting by on guile and tomfoolery. He's straight-up getting hitters out with quality pitches. Don't overlook this cat.

- Choo and Cabrera: still good. If we get a healthy Sizemore back next year, we go this way 1-9:
1) Brantley CF (presuming he learns how to stop making so many outs - this can easily be Crowe, who has impressed lately)
2) Cabrera SS
3) Choo RF
4) Santana C
5) LaPorta 1B
6) Sizemore LF (yes.)
7) Brown DH
8) Anyone 3B
9) Donald 2B

I like this. Key benchers are Crowe and Nix. I can't mention our current D"H" because of how crushingly bad his contract is. But he might play some.

- Dave "Shelley" Duncan: quality value signing.

- "Paging Mr. Hermann..."

We might still lock down 70 W's this year. If so, give Mr. Acta some credit. Go Tribe!