Not only did they beat the Red Sox, 7-3, to claim a three games to one series advantage, but they did so with top-to-bottom production from a stacked lineup expected to keep getting better.
Cleveland batted around in a pivotal fifth inning, knocking out seven hits and scoring seven runs. Casey Blake led off the frame with a homer. Four batters later, 21-year-old rookie Asdrubal Cabrera drove in a run, and All-Star catcher Victor Martinez replicated that feat soon after. Jhonny Peralta then belted an opposite field three-run homer, giving the Indians a six-run cushion.
While Peralta rounded the bases, 26-year-old Cy Young winner CC Sabathia pumped his fist in the dugout. Also on the bench celebrating were Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner, the core of the team’s offense.
In that moment, it was difficult to picture the rapid unraveling just ahead. The group would never win another playoff game, in fact, dropping the next three to Boston before failing to finish above .500 over the ensuing five seasons.
With the 2019 Indians trying to avoid a similar trajectory, the squad from 12 years ago is a reminder of the urgency of playoff runs, especially for organizations unwilling or unable to push the envelope financially. Their star power will be on display at the 2019 MLB All-Star game — but it might not be around for too much longer.
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Cleveland’s 2007 group — which fell short one game from the World Series — quickly fell victim to front-office inactivity and crippling injuries, robbing it of the lasting success that seemed so assured.
The Indians never landed in MLB’s top-half in payroll in the late 2000s, and they subsequently struggled to cobble together a feasible back-end to their rotation or bullpen. They posted a 4.45 team ERA in 2008, 5.06 ERA in 2009 and 4.30 ERA in 2010. Each of those figures ranked near the bottom of the league.
Really, though, the Indians shouldn’t have needed many free agent signings or contract-laden trades to continue their momentum after 2007. Almost every key player would return the next season in or just before their primes. Cabrera was 21. Sizemore was 24. Shin-Soo Choo was 25. Sabathia was 26. Martinez was 28. Cliff Lee, about to win a Cy Young, was also 28. Hafner was 30. Plus, Cleveland’s staff had Roberto Hernandez (then known as Fausto Carmona), who finished fourth in the 2007 Cy Young race. Top-30 pitching prospect Adam Miller offered additional promise in Triple-A at age 22.
Injuries were particularly cruel to Cleveland’s offense. For Sizemore it was elbow surgery, knee surgery and then a body that could never again support the 30-home run, 30-steal production that made him one of baseball’s most exciting young players. For Hafner it was right shoulder pain, lower body soreness and an end to his reign as feared run producer. For Martinez it was elbow surgery, then a trade to the Red Sox before his impending free agency.
The front of the team’s top-heavy pitching staff soon became unaffordable (Sabathia, Lee) or not as dominant (Hernandez). Miller, the organization’s touted pitching prospect, never appeared in an MLB game.
With the backdrop of the 2007 Indians’ downfall — and the franchises near-misses for a title in the 90s — fans at Progressive Field have reason to feel nervous. After all, this may realistically be Cleveland’s final chance to make a championship run (if the opportunity hasn’t passed already). Right-handers Trevor Bauer and Corey Kluber have been rumored trade pieces since the offseason, while Carlos Carraso was recently diagnosed with Leukemia. Cleveland’s offense, already weakened by free agent departures and the regression of Jason Kipnis, is now trying to compensate for the unexpected decline of recent MVP candidate Jose Ramirez. Money will continue to be fairly tight moving forward — the Indians rank 19th in payroll this year.
At the All-Star break, the Indians are 5 1/2 games behind the Twins for the AL Central and hanging on to the second wild card spot. Hope for a breakthrough still remains, then, but amid Cleveland’s hosting of the Midsummer Classic, the organization is in a fierce battle to extend its era of relevance as history threatens to repeat.
