As long as everyone walked off the field healthy, you had to consider the Indians Cactus League finale a success.  The Opening Day lineup made a cameo against a talented bunch of baseball players that could be labeled the Cincinnati Reds in name only, a squad split from manager Dusty Baker and a the familiar group of names that make up the actual roster of a team that many expect to win the National League Central Division this year.

As final scores go, this one was 9-1 in favor of the Indians, but a great deal of the damage was done while I assume those making the trip to Toronto to start playing games that count on Tuesday were cleaning out their lockers because they had better things to worry about, like packing for Cleveland.  Michael Bourn doubled in the contest, as did Carlos Santana, in addition to hitting his second home run of a spring interrupted by his duties with the Dominican Republic team in the World Baseball Classic.  Asdrubal Cabrera started the game at shortstop, struck out once and walked once before letting Dorssys Paulino take over in the third inning; it was his first game action with the Tribe since being scratched last Sunday, due to back spasms.

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Another spring training is in the books as the Indians head northward to open the season in Toronto tomorrow night. Between the exciting additions to the team this offseason and the early start due to the World Baseball Classic, this spring has seemed to drag on for longer than any in recent memory. The excitement surrounding the team for opening day is higher than at any time in the recent past, as the improvements in the starting lineup have people whispering about playoff possibilities for a club that finished 68-94 last season. That talk may well be premature, especially considering the question marks in the starting rotation, but the mere fact that talking about the playoffs isn’t completely insane is encouraging in and of itself.

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Our long suffering nightmare is over, Tribe fans. Not only is the offseason finally finished, but the Indians actually look like must see TV this season. They’re going to play an exciting brand of baseball with a lot of passion and it appears that changes on the business side will help with attendance and affordable options at the ballpark for both tickets and concessions. This has the chance to be a special year.

It will take a lot for the Indians to unseat the defending Central Division Champs and overwhelming favorites, the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers have one of the best rotations in the American League, with the staff bookended by $200 million dollar man Justin Verlander and strikeout wizard Max Scherzer.

To use a cliché that I hate…that’s why they play the games!

As I wrote about back in February, the Indians took a cue from the 2012 Athletics and 2012 Orioles and put together a team that walks a lot, hits for a lot of power, and strikes out a lot. The second wild card spot gives teams a lot of incentive to try to contend. Think about it. The Tigers are the heavy favorite. The AL West and AL East both have two or three good teams. With only one wild card, the Indians would have to drastically overachieve and the Tigers would have to horribly underachieve. Now, with two wild card spots, there’s additional hope for the Indians.

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It's that time of the year again.

The time of the year when everyone starts putting out preseason predictions, division and team previews, and try their hand at predicting or forecasting what is going to happen.

That means, it is the time of the year when I get a little antsy and start thinking the Indians have a chance to win the World Series. It doesn't matter, they could field a team of 12-year-olds that have one arm tied behind their backs and are restricted to wearing snow boots and I would think there is a chance.

That's the magic of Opening Day and the impending return of baseball season. The magic of hope, and sometimes lunacy and unsupported, but wildly imaginative potential scenarios in where the Indians win it all.

Previews like this one and this one can help shed perspective, but also give you a rebellious attitude. What do they know! They're totally overlooking the Indians in that regard! Or if there are any slivers of hope, it helps you manifest some good point into a full-blown reason to believe.

I was going to try and fight it, but why do that? I'll take my periods of untamed hope and wild optimism, because I also have those moments of sober realization that will probably bring me back to the middle somewhere.

So with that, as I did last year, I present to you the final Spring rundown of the 2013 year. It is one that I look back the Spring Training Primer and cover up any loose ends before we begin to start the season. Enjoy.

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