Spring training
This is a happy day here in Cleveland (and in a lot of other cold weather cities) because it is the first day of spring training for baseball. It's a sure sign that warmer weather is right around the corner (and today in Cleveland, it's supposed to reach the 50's -- already it was 45 this morning!).

True Indians fans know when the equipment truck leaves Cleveland for Winter Haven, Florida, when pitchers and catchers report (today), when the rest of the team reports, when the first full-squad workout is, etc. And these are joyous moments for we who follow the Indians through thick and thin. Spring training represents the potential of a winning season. For any team, the dream of making the playoffs, even the World Series, is still alive.

So why, Plain Dealer sports section, why must you destroy all of our hopes right off the bat (excuse the pun)?

This morning, I grab the sports page, pumped that finally there will be baseball articles for me to read. And what does our Indians beat reporter tell us?

That if we're not careful, we're going to suck worse than Detroit.

The Tigers had the worst record in baseball last year. But this off-season, the Tigers have acquired a lot of top-notch players (OK, well, Pudge Rodriguez and some other guys who, when compared to the likes of Jeter & Co. aren't exactly household names). And the Indians, well, haven't. Does the name Ronnie Belliard ring a bell? Didn't think so.

So the whole spin of this article was that the Indians better watch out because Detroit has a better team and the Indians don't, and since the Indians sucked last year, it follows that they will suck this year as well.

So much for the optimism of spring training. But thanks for giving me at least three minutes this morning where I thought we had a chance.