Sport-Blog.com

Much has been written in recent weeks about the number teams still with a chance at the 2005 post-season. The greatest excitement comes from the American league where six teams still have legitimate shots at Division titles, even as baseball heads into the final three weeks of the season.

The one baseball club in the six team mix that is garnering the most attention is the Cleveland Indians. Critical to their story line is their status as of August 1st, when the team stood fifteen full games behind the Division leading Chicago White Sox, and their incredible performance over the past seven weeks.

The Indians trounced Kansas City 11-0 Sunday to complete a three-game sweep of the hapless Royals. With that win, the Indians have now won five straight, 12 of their last 13, and are a major league best 33-11, since July 31st.

Along with the performance comes a compelling story line. An elite team just four years ago, the Indians were essentially dismantled due to payroll concerns. The loss of several star players after the 2001 season plummeted the team to the depths of the American League.

Gone were such stars as outfielder Manny Ramirez, second baseman Roberto Alomar and power hitting first baseman, Jim Thome. As much as those players led the name recognition parade, the team also featured the likes of shortstop Omar Vizquel, catcher Sandy Alomar, Jr., and pitcher Bartolo Colon. That group carried the team to two World Series appearances, in 1995 and 1997, and to six Division titles in a seven year period.

But that success produced a payroll budding beyond the means of the smaller market Indians. Management elected to regroup after the 2001 season and the teams sixth Division title. At the winter meetings that year, general manager Mark Shapiro, dealt all-star Roberto Alomar to the New York Mets and then a few months later traded ace righthander Bartolo Colon to the Montreal Expos. Losing all the last of all that talent had an immediate effect on the team, as the Indians suffered through seasons of 74-88 in 2002 and 68-94 in '03.

But just as the team was dismantled, talent was brought in and developed. The prospects the team received from Montreal in the Colon deal included Grady Sizemore, a center fielder now widely considered to be a budding superstar, and pitcher Cliff Lee currently tops the AL in winning percentage at 16-4.

Other trades and free agent signings brought talent back into the fold. But the real key for the Indians has been the continued development of talent in their farm system. Catcher Victor Martinez, shortstop Jhonny Peralta, and left-hander C.C. Sabathia all came up through the team's farm system.

Most impressively, the team has regrouped quickly with an astonishingly low payroll. With total salaries in the $41 million range, the Indians are near the bottom of the pack when it comes to spending. Only four major league clubs, the Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals and Tampa Bay Devil Rays have lower team salaries than that of the Indians. Eleven major teams spend at least twice what the Indians do, while the New York Yankees payroll of $208 million is five times that of the hottest team in baseball.

As the season winds to a close, the once 15 game White Sox lead now stands at three and a half games. With six games left to play between the two teams, the Indians now control their own destiny when it comes to winning their first Central Division title since 2001.

The Indians are also in the driver seat when it comes to the wild card, their 87-62 mark puts them three and a half games up on the Western Division leading Los Angeles Angels and matches the record of the Eastern Division leading Red Sox. The Yankees are now a game and a half behind Cleveland. With New York and Boston closing the season against one another, one of those teams is destined to lose some games, leaving the Indians in great shape for at least a wild card berth.

And when it comes to being in great shape consider that the team's Double A Akron Aeros recently completed a 3-1 series victory over the Portland Sea Dogs, giving the Aeros their second title in three years. That farm team is reportedly loaded with young talent set to compete for roster spots over the next few years.

The Indians are indeed a compelling story in 2005. But given the team's incredible performance over the last 44 games, all of baseball should keep an eye on this team.

The most compelling aspect of their story may still lie ahead of them.