Fave 4: Cleveland Indians

For a lot of young baseball fans who grew up in the 80's, the Indians were little more than a last place team with a cool, yet controversial logo. For most of us, the most recognizable Indians were guys with names like Cerrano, Dorn, Hayes, and Vaughn.


It wasn't until the mid 90s that the Indians began to be not only relevant, but hugely popular among young fans. They were a young team full of budding stars and personalities. I was instantly hooked on many of them. I never could find a reason to like Cory Snyder or Greg Swindell, but these guys were likable and exciting.


Since that time, the Indians have become a team I actively root for as long as they aren't facing my Halos. So here they are, my Fave 4 Indians.

1. Albert Belle

I know, I know, I know. I'm supposed to hate this guy. I'm supposed to rail against him for throwing a baseball at a fan, for running down trick or treaters, for being a surly a-hole. Problem is, I really don't care. I loved watching this guy. He had one of the most violent swings in all of baseball and was downright intimidating in the batter's box. His stare was legendary. I should hate him for his attitude and behavior, but instead I love him for the being the baddest mo'fo in baseball. I'm not sure where he would rank with the hardcore Indians fans, but for me he's an easy #1.

2. Kenny Lofton

He was Willie "Mays" Hayes. OK, maybe not quite as much flash, but this guy was so exciting to watch as he flew around the bases. He was the perfect top of the order guy for those Indians teams that were just mashing their opponents into submission. It seemed like almost nightly he was bringing a homerun back from over the wall with ease. I remember being shocked by his trade to the Braves and then just confused by everything that followed, with his signing with the club as a free agent after the season and the Indians trading Grissom the same day. Definitely a guy with the smile that made you root for me, the exact opposite of Albert.

3. Grady Sizemore

Apparently the ladies are quite infatuated with Grady, so at risk of my manhood being questioned, I'll admit that I too am a fan of Mr. Sizemore. There's not much this guy can't do on a baseball field and as an added bonus, he came over to the Tribe with my boy Brandon Phillips. Easily one of the best trades ever.

4. Carlos Baerga

Baerga absolutely fell apart after leaving Cleveland, but while he was there, he was one of the more exciting middle infielders of the early 90s. I don't remember Baerga for any play in particular or a certain game, just that he was a switch-hitting second baseman and a lot of fun to watch in the field.

Honorable Mentions:
Julio Franco

Julio would have had a chance at this list, since he was about the only Indian I cared for in the 80s, but his inclusion on the Rangers list disqualified him.

C.C. Sabathia

One thing was working against the rotund lefty, his current team. He most likely makes this list even after being traded to Milwaukee, mainly because I loved him in both places, but his signing with the Yankees just left me feeling queasy. I dislike the Yanks greatly and his signing there just reminds me of the Giambi signing, a guy who was free-spirited and fun, but will have the life sucked out of him in NY.

Manny Ramirez

He'll make an appearance later, I'm sure of it.

So that's them. The Fave 4 Indians from my days as a baseball fan. A diverse, but highly likable group...as long as you're like me and don't mind players running over kids dressed as ninjas and baseball fans getting welts on their chests.

Go Halos!

Craptacular Pack Break: The Score Packs Pt. 1

As the craptacular pack break winds down, we're looking at 1990 and 1992 Score. I'm a big fan of the 1988 cards, so I decided to save '88 and '89 for the finale.

First up, a Hall of Famer.

There's no denying how good Robin Yount was, but I've always held a grudge against the guy. In 1989 I really like Ruben Sierra and I was sure that he would walk away with the MVP, only to have some "old guy" from Milwaukee win it. Oh well. One of the best parts about opening up the old stuff is coming across the cards that take on a whole new meaning now. Then, he was a guy who cost Ruben the MVP, now he's a Hall of Famer and probably the greatest Brewer of all-time.

Next, a couple of rookies.

Hal Morris obviously made his mark with the Reds, not the Yankees and that's just another reason to like this card. I guess you could label me a Yankee hater, so I do enjoy the careers of guys who leave the Yanks and flourish. The one thing I remember about Morris is the way his feet never stopped moving when he was at-bat. Odd, funky and awesome.

A poory scanned Halo rookie.

Frist round pick...uggh. This is one of the many reasons that the '90s were not so kind to Halo fans. The best part about Orton? His career batting average of exactly .200. Take that Mendoza.

Dream Teamer Will Clark

These cards seemed sort of plain and boring to me in 1990, but getting one now I almost felt like it had an Allen and Ginter quality to it. The white border, semi-washed out photo/portrait and the colored background. Definitely a card I appreciate more today.

On to 1992 and Bone.

Buhner was one of the more enjoyable personalities of the 1990's. He put up some big-time power numbers from 1995-1997, but you have to wonder how many more fans he gained because of the exposure that Griffey brought to the entire Mariners organization. Added bonus, a former Yankee that flourished as well as part of one of the great Seinfeld sports moments.
Frank Costanza: What the hell did you trade Jay Buhner for?! He had 30 home runs and over 100 RBIs last year. He's got a rocket for an arm. You don't know what the hell you're doin'!

Steinbrenner: Well, Buhner was a good prospect, no question about it. But my baseball people loved Ken Phelps' bat. They kept saying "Ken Phelps, Ken Phelps."

The guy who wore his helmet in the field.

It's amazing to think that this guy reached base well over 3,000 times in his career and only stole 11 bases. I remember three things vividly about Olerud. 1. He wore a helmet in the field after suffering a brain aneurysm in college. 2. He was incredibly slow. 3. When he was with the Mets he did that thing where he kinda held runners on, but really played the field, but...well I still don't really understand it.

Awesome Halo card.

This guy was putrid with the Angels, but you gotta love the pose on this card. It's tough to beat the relief pitcher, in his sneakers, acting like he's making a leaping catch to rob a home run card. This will find a special place in the Halo binders.

Finally, a BEAST.

This guy had one of the better 4 season offensive runs of any player I've ever witnessed. The menacing stare and attitude of Joey, errr excuse me, Albert Belle was one of the best parts about watching him play. I would have hated having to stand 60 feet 6 inches away from this guy and toss a ball in his direction. On top of that, this card is awesome. Albert slamming up against the Monster, hat flying off, sunglasses flipped up and body askew. For a set with an only decent design, this card looks great.

2 more packs away from the end of the Craptacular Pack Break.

Go Halos!