Cleveland Indians: Will Wood Help Kerry The Indians in 2009?

Last year, Indians fans witnessed Cliff Lee win the AL Cy Young and have a tremendous season, but little else. He can only pitch one out of five games. For a team picked to win the World Series, the '08 brand can be considered an absolute disaster. That said, if the trend of odd-year success for the Tribe continues, Cleveland better be prepared for another October to remember. The obvious new face for the Tribe is closer Kerry Wood, oft-injured but still capable of tossing fireballs. His arm will be relied upon to salvage a position that was the biggest cause for the Tribe's problems last year. Gone is Joe "gas can" Borowski, who was unceremoniously released after repeatedly blowing leads in the ninth inning. Gone is closer-by-committee, although fans did see flashes of brilliance from youngster Jensen Lewis. The play of outfielder Ben Francisco was a pleasant surprise for the Tribe last season, while shortstop Jhonny Peralta showed he has clean-up ability. Unfortunately for the ... (link)