No Chiefs; Too Many Indians

Over the last six years, the most disappointing team in baseball, with the possible exception of the pre-Manny Dodgers, has been the Cleveland Indians. They've managed to under-perform their expectations every year, including 2007 when they won 96 games, the AL Central and a post-season series against the Yankees before blowing a three games to one lead on the Red Sox in the championship series, losing 30-5 in the final three games.

Last year, they were the co-favorites with Detroit in the AL Central, only to face elimination by Memorial Day and trade their best player, CC Sabathia by summer.

This year, the Indians will not disappoint. Low expectations will make sure of that.

The Indians have the following shortcomings in 2009: they have no starting pitching, no relief pitching and no hitting. This may be a problem.

First, the offense. Their man-beast slugger, Travis Hafner, hurt his everything the last two years and has become a shadow of a shell of a chalk outline of his old self. The Tribe's best hitters are their centerfielder and shortstop, the terrific Grady Sizemore and phonetically-challenged Jhonny Peralta. After that, they don't have a single hitter they can count on at the offensive positions of corner infield, outfield and DH.

Unless Ryan Garko finds himself again at first, Andy Marte finally lives up to a portion of his billing at third and ousts newly-acquired Mark Derosa, the evil doctor who created Pronk recharges Hafner's bat and magna-prospect Matt LaPorta usurps leftfield, this is going to continue to be one sickle-celled lineup.

Which could make for an ugly season on the lake, because the cupboard is bare up on the hill. Cliff Lee can only start every fifth game, and even then, things can't go anywhere but down from his phenomenal '08. After that, things fall off the Cliff. Do Carl Pavano, Aaron Laffey, Fausto Carmona (and his 5.2-4.3 K/BB rate) and Jeremy Sowers strike fear in the hearts of White Sox hitters? Um, no.

And if the starting corps is suspect, the relief troop is under indictment. Though the much-needed addition of Kerry Wood will solidify the ninth inning -- as long as Wood is more oak than balsa -- innings six through eight could be trouble. Now, bullpens are notoriously fickle; who knows, Jensen Lewis, Rafael Perez and Masa Kobayashi could light it up from the pen in '09, but that's not the way to bet.

There's abit of an up-for-grabs quality to the AL Central this year because Chicago and Minnesota weren't really that good and Detroit and Cleveland weren't really that bad last season. The Indians aren't yet a lost cause. But unless someone brings hope and change to the party, their future is looking kinda Dennis Kucinich.