Allow me to quote from Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities for a moment when thinking about 'A Tale of Two Days in Cleveland Sports.'
It was the best of times
The Cleveland Browns took a giant leap forward on Sunday when they beat the Baltimore Ravens, 12-9, in overtime. Just to refresh your memory, here's how it finished:
Among the most important takeaways from Sunday's win:
- The Browns are still unbeaten at home
- The Browns are still unbeaten in the AFC North
- This team is taking on the identity of their quarterback, which is a good thing
- Their other first round draft pick is really good, too
- The kicking game is still a concern, because the Browns are going to be playing more tight ballgames this season
Jimmy and I talked about all of these things as we basked in the glow of Browns success, until...
It was the worst of times
Another October, another early exit for the Cleveland Indians.
Look, I don't care that the Tribe lost to the Astros in the ALDS. Houston is really, really good. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see them beat the Red Sox in the ALCS, then go on and win their 2nd straight World Series.
What bothers me is how meek the Indians looked in getting swept, especially Monday's 11-3 pasting at Progressive Field.
I wrote yesterday that the biggest problem for the Indians is exactly what it was one year ago: They're not hitting when it counts the most. And that goes for just about everyone in the lineup.
Jimmy brought up the point that the Tribe needs more from high-powered, yet high-priced slugger Edwin Encarnacion. It's one thing to hit home runs at Target Field or Comerica Park, but it's another thing to hit them at Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium, or Minute Maid Park in October. Those hits are what the Indians have been lacking during these last two runs through the playoffs.
What do you do to change things? Do you trust that this core of talent will emerge stronger after this disappointment, or do you look at moving some players in the offseason? Would a coaching change or two around Terry Francona make a difference?
These are all questions that we will look forward to finding out when Francona and Chris Antonetti meet with the media on Wednesday.
Watch the Donovan Live Postgame Show in the player above