The Best Time of the Year

As I sat in the brisk 40 degree weather in beautiful Cleveland, Ohio, I thought to myself: is there any better time than Opening Day or baseball season in general? I answered by own question with a resounding NO. The sun was shining, which is a rarity on Opening Day in Cleveland, considering in 2007 there was the infamous "snow out" against the Seattle Mariners. I sat in my seat, watching Tom Hamilton, voice of the Indians, introduce the 2011 Cleveland Indians and I got goosebumps. No matter how many times I have heard his voice, it still sends a shiver down my spine. I had the pleasure and honor of meeting Mr. Hamilton in the summer of 2010 while working for the Lorain County Ironmen. Meeting Tom was one of the best experiences I have had because I've grown up with his voice and I feel like I always knew him on a personal level. Now I can actually say I have met him personally. Anyways, I digress. The new look Tribe didn't really have the "sexy" appeal of a good team on paper, but I told several of my friends and family before the season started we're going to surprise some people. Now it's only twelve games into the season, but the Indians are sitting atop the AL Central with an 8-4 record. Baseball has always been my favorite sport and I get more excited for the start of baseball season than I do for basketball or football combined. Although being an Indians fan is like being on a drug, meaning that it's a roller coaster of emotions, it's still great to have your own team to root for and to follow. I stand by my statement and I think the Indians will surprise some people. By that, I don't mean we're going to have the best record in all of baseball, but I think we can spoil some frontrunners down the stretch, and maybe if, and this is a big if, take the wild card. That's "if" we can stay healthy and get production from Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner, both of which had important roles in the Indians' 2007 post season run. 

Quote me, THE TRIBE WILL SURPRISE SOME PEOPLE. That is all.