Cleveland Indians 2008 Season Recap

The 2008 season was supposed to start where last years left off, back in the playoffs and on their way to winning a World Series. Unfortunately many things did not go as planned. They ended their season in 3rd place in the AL Central with an 81-81 record. In this extremely tough and disappointing season in which long time ace C.C. Sabathia got traded; Fausto Carmona, Victor Martinez, and Travis Hafner spent a considerable amount of time on the DL and a bullpen which could not close out games with a large lead; there were a few bright spots.

1. Cliff Lee - Lee came back from a horrid 2007 campaign to win 22 games with an ERA of 2.54.


2. Grady Sizemore - Sizemore hit 33 home runs and stole 38 bases, and if he had protection from the likes of Hafner and Martinez those numbers could have been much higher.


3. Jhonny Peralta - Peralta batted .276 with 23 home runs and 89 RBIs.

But what can the Indians do to be contenders next season?

1. Let Jensen Lewis close games. He was 13 for 13 in save opportunities last season so just give him a chance.
2. Get rid of Ryan Garko. I love the guy but he isn't so good. Then move Victor Martinez to First base full-time and let Kelly Shoppach be the everyday Catcher. Martinez is only valuable if he plays and if he's catching he's more susceptible to injuries, plus Shoppach played well last year in Martinez's absence.
3. Get a lead-off hitter. Grady has done a great job, but just imagine how much more runs the Indians would score if Grady batted 3rd in the lineup.
4. Give Anthony Reyes a chance to start. Last year he played well in the six starts that he had.

Of course we'll have to see if the Indians will go after any free-agents, but they are not known for spending money, so we'll see what happens.