Most of the changing culture at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario can be attributed to Terry Francona. Since the Indians hired Francona, sweeping changes have put the organization in a much better position than it was in at the end of the 2012 season. Ownership stepped up and put the necessary funds forward to help transform the team into a contender. The acquisition of proven Major League talent and a couple of infectious personalities have exponentially increased excitement and morale, both in the clubhouse and among fans.

Questions have always existed about how much a manager actually helps in-game performance. Baseball is not designed like football, where coaches on both sides call plays or like basketball where teams can make adjustments in their designed sets or change who is guarding who. Unlike football and basketball, which are games of X’s and O’s, baseball is a numbers game. The “eye test” will say that a player cannot hit the slider down and away, but the numbers give a value as to how bad that player is at hitting the slider.

And everybody has the numbers.

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Next spring will be filled with nostalgia. Ready or not, we will be celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the opening of what is now known as Progressive Field. Countless details from Jacobs Field’s inaugural 1994 season will be remembered, analyzed, and toasted.

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For the first time in at least five years, we’re on the doorstep of baseball season with a reason to be interested, beyond the essential fact that it’s the start of the season.

For the first time in five years, the Indians might – maybe, possibly – have a decent chance at contending for a postseason berth.

And it’s because, for the first time, Larry and Paul Dolan opened their family’s wallet and spent real money. Lots of it. Last summer, I penned this article, outlining the many management-level blunders that have occurred on the Dolans’ watch, and questioning whether they were competent stewards of the Indians franchise anymore.

I questioned whether anything could save the Dolan regime, other than spending significant dollars on the 25-man roster. Apparently, the Dolans didn’t see much of an alternative, either.

They spent $56 million on Nick Swisher, $48 million on Michael Bourn, $7 million on Brett Myers and $6 million on Mark Reynolds.

Not only that, in an offseason when many of us expected the Tribe to offload multiple core players, they only jettisoned one, and it was a productive trade at that, sending Shin-Soo Choo to Cincinnati as part of a three-way deal with Arizona that netted the Indians outfielder Drew Stubbs from the Reds and elite pitching prospect Trevor Bauer from the Diamondbacks, among others.

Was this offseason an excuse for unbridled elation? Probably not. Was it a much-needed sign of life from a team that has been flatlining since 2009? Most definitely.

No one is trying to pretend that the Indians are poised to take the American League by storm starting next week. No one is trying to pretend that the AL’s balance of power shifted in any type of tectonic fashion. The Indians can only hope to have a puncher’s chance against league heavyweights like the Tigers, Angels and Rangers.

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This is one installment in a team effort by The Cleveland Fan, highlighting the top local sports figures by jersey number. Please weigh in with your thoughts, in the Boards. As David Letterman would say, “For entertainment purposes only; please, no wagering.”

Municipal Stadium sure holds some great childhood memories for me. 

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