The steam has been blown off after a raucous beer- and champagne-soaked celebration of the Indians' first American League Central Division title in nine years.
Presumably Mike Napoli's back is as strong as ever after the first baseman/designated hitter picked up manager Terry Francona in a touching on-field moment amid the joy.
Postseason T-shirts bearing such slogans as "Made for October" and "Cleveland vs. Everybody" hang in the team shop.
Going into the first game of the American League Division Series on Thursday, there is plenty to love about the 2016 Indians. But there are also troubling issues that could doom their hopes of winning the team's first World Series since 1948.
Here are my likes and dislikes going into the playoff opener against the Red Sox.
Dislike: Offensive lethargy.
The Indians have scored three or fewer runs in 12 of 26 games since Sept. 9. Considering the injuries to the starting rotation, their bats are going to have to carry the load in the postseason. In six games against the Red Sox, they hit .190, which makes the matchup troubling. That's significantly lower than the numbers they posted against other AL teams who still had playoff hopes. They hit .252 vs. the West champion Rangers. Against the wild card teams, the Tribe's averages were .227 vs. the Blue Jays and .261 vs. the Orioles.
Like: Career years.
To win a championship in any sport, everything must come together. That has been the case for Mike Napoli, Carlos Santana, Jose Ramirez and Jason Kipnis. Napoli's 34 home runs and 101 RBIs are career highs. Kipnis smashed his personal best in home runs, his 23 topping the 17 he hit in 2013. Santana posted career highs in home runs (34) and RBIs (87). With Michael Brantley undergoing multiple shoulder surgeries, Ramirez came out of nowhere to hit .312 in 152 games; his previous high in the majors was .333 in 15 games in 2013. Numbers like that make one believe something special is going on.
Dislike: The injury situation.
What was once the Indians' strength _ their starting pitching _ has turned into perhaps their biggest weakness. Right-hander Carlos Carrasco suffered a fractured right hand on Sept. 17. Right-hander Danny Salazar is rehabbing a strained forearm, although he might abandon his curveball and pitch out of the bullpen in the ALDS. Cy Young candidate Corey Kluber suffered a mild strain of his right quadriceps on Sept. 26 and will sit until Game 2 against the Red Sox. If the Indians' playoff run ends quickly, this will be the reason.
Like: The bullpen.
The bullpen's 3.45 ERA tied for fourth in the majors. Since the Tribe's July 31 trade for the New York Yankees' Andrew Miller, the back end of Bryan Shaw, Miller and Cody Allen are seemingly unrivaled. Miller had a .137 batting average against and 1.23 ERA in August, in September/October those numbers were .140 and 1.88. Allen has sizzled since Sept. 1, with a 0.69 ERA and .103 batting average against. Shaw didn't give up an earned run in 11 August innings. Those three, along with dependable others led by Dan Otero, could make up for the Tribe's starting issues.
Dislike: Trevor Bauer, Josh Tomlin in major roles.
Until the injuries hit, Tomlin didn't seem needed in the postseason, now he'll start Game 3 Sunday in Boston. He's showed in his past four starts that he's recovered from a disastrous August. But can he handle postseason pressure? Bauer, who has a 6.39 ERA in September/October (his highest of any month this season), will start Game 1 in Cleveland. Opponents batted .278 against him in six September/October games. I'm encouraged that veteran catcher Chris Gimenez has taken Bauer under his wing. I love Bauer's competitiveness. But when it comes to both Bauer and Tomlin, there's still an element of uncertainty in my mind.
Dislike: Home stat bias.
The Indians hit .288 with 183 doubles, 99 home runs and an .827 OPS (on base percentage plus slugging percentage) at Progressive Field. Going into Sunday, those numbers on the road were .237, 123, 85 and .693, respectively. Their road record was 41-39, but they dropped 11 of 19, 17 of 28 and 21 of their last 36 games when not playing at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario.
Like: Francona.
Francona guided the Red Sox to World Series titles in 2004 and 2007. Breaking the "Curse of the Bambino" would seemingly be a much heavier weight than the Indians' drought that stretches back to 1948. Francona is a great communicator, is masterful with his bullpen and artfully melds Moneyball statistics with his game instincts. To me, the best part of the division-clinching celebration was the genuine emotion shown on both sides as Francona went down the line and hugged each player after the victory in Detroit. Having Francona in the dugout is as big of an advantage as Ohio State having football coach Urban Meyer on the sideline.
The edge: Their spirit.
It's not just the 11 walk-off victories with nine different heroes, although those do encapsulate their attitude and resilience. The spunky Indians play with a chip on their shoulders and it becomes bigger with every perceived media slight.
The Cavs did the same thing en route to winning the city's first championship in 52 years, frequently referencing their critics. I was among the naysayers, writing after they fell behind 3-1 in the NBA Finals that the Golden State Warriors were a bad matchup and the offseason was just one game away. (Thanks to loyal readers for multiple mailings of that clipping.) If the Indians need sportswriters for postseason motivation, they'd better thank us in the World Series victory news conference.
