CLEVELAND _ There rarely seems to be an easy road in baseball. If there is one, the Indians would love to get directions.
Last season, the Indians' first American League Central title since 2007 came amid a flurry of injuries in August and September, as well as numerous other speed bumps along the way. This year, the race ended up being much more one-sided but still featured its fair share of hurdles.
The Indians battled injuries yet again. At one point, nearly one-third of the active roster was on the 10-day disabled list. The outfield has virtually been a revolving door between the active roster and the DL. Jason Kipnis, Michael Brantley, Lonnie Chisenhall and others have had frustrating seasons trying to stay on the field. There were also the health concerns surrounding manager Terry Francona, who ended up being absent for a stretch and unable to manage the All-Star Game.
Most teams, if not all, face that kind of adversity. Dealing with it has become the Indians' badge of honor as they clinched the division with more than two weeks left in the season.
"I think it's certainly been a characteristic of this year, but I think it's something where that groundwork was laid in years prior," Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said. "This team is beginning to develop and earn a reputation as a team that's capable of overcoming obstacles and challenges. We've experienced a lot of those again this year and our guys continually find ways to step up and find ways to contribute."
The Indians clinched Saturday night when the Minnesota Twins lost to the Toronto Blue Jays. The Indians then celebrated the season after their game Sunday against the Kansas City Royals. But much of the feeling was of a club looking ahead, with bigger goals in mind.
"We're here to play the last game of the year," Francisco Lindor said. "That's our goal. Obviously anything can happen in the playoffs. Since Day One, the guys showed they can do it. Things went south a little bit. Guys found a way to stay neutral a little bit and then go back up. It shows a lot of character. It's pretty cool to clinch at home. We haven't done that."
With the division in hand, the Indians' sole focus for the final two weeks will be a balance of resting players to prepare for the postseason and battling the Houston Astros for the best record in the American League and the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in baseball and thus, homefield advantage through the postseason.
"I think everyone in that clubhouse understands that we can still make more moves," Jay Bruce said. "It's important to keep a high level of energy and focus because one of the things when you clinch early, some people would say you can kind of get your rest or go through the motions or whatever, but we have a lot more we can accomplish, so I don't think that's going to be an issue."
