fantasy and faith; Cleveland Indians look good on paper

fantasy and faith; Cleveland Indians look good on paper

fiction
Edward w Pritchard

Since 1959 author has fallen hard for the Cleveland Indians each Spring. It's the same old story the team looks good on paper and this year we might win the pennant.

This year to get a little professional help in assessing the team here in Spring training I went to the chain bookstore and used the gift certificate I got for my birthday to get a fantasy baseball magazine. I don't exactly understand this fantasy baseball thing but I understand it involves gambling and being distracted from Adult life and the job of supporting and providing for one's family by following baseball on the computers at work.

At the bookstore I noticed a lot of youngish men skipping the playboys and the financial magazines and going straight for the fantasy baseball magazines.

Not to brag here but author of his baseball buddies who watched the games last year exactly picked the Cleveland Indians [1] to win 85 games last year and miss the pennant. What's on Tap for this year?

I am afraid as I see it despite an excellent team with good depth and lots of youth I see us in third in the AL central, behind Detroit [again] and either Chicago or Kansas City.

Still I look forward to being around to watch another April with my local Team.

[1] author is aware team name Cleveland Indians is offensive to some native Americans. My Mother now passed on often sent in mail donations to soliciting Indian charities and author will try do same this year in penance for following the local team with the offensive name, God willing.

Here's what I wrote last year about the Cleveland Indians after about a month of watching the team:

Monkees on the infield

fiction
edward w pritchard


Some criticize  the American 60's music group the Monkees because they were recruited by promoters instead of forming spontaneously on a street corner while harmonizing under a street lamp or as just a group of buddies singing between classes in high school. Me, I was always a fan.

Too bad the four guys, Mike, Peter, Micky and Davy aren't all around or have gotten too old to be recruited to play the infield this year for the Cleveland Indians. The tribe have gotten off to a slow start and could use a little of the esprit de corps, humor and improvisation the Monkees could provide to put a little life back in the Cleveland baseball scene.

Mike could be the old pro at first base. Davy fast and light footed could cover second. Peter at short stop could flip the ball to Davy to start mini a double play. Another long time pro Micky could handle the corner at third.

Good professional baseball teams are built one position at a time by the back office staff and indeed the entire field support staff of scouts and road men. A group like the Monkee would be professional at all times when they traveled from city to city going to away games. Riding " the last train to Clarksville" the lads would joke about all of Davy's and Micky's ladies in the next town and Mike could read a philosophy book while Peter dosed off on the long train rides.

Too bad we can't recruit the Monkees to back up the Cleveland Indians on the infield this year. It looks like we can use a little help at the plate and some sure hands in the field.

Let's listen to " I'm a believer" and hope for the best for the Cleveland Indians anyway despite a slow start in April 2014.