CLEVELAND _ It isn't easy for me to trust Trevor Bauer.
Perhaps it stems from the bloody pinkie, the result of the ill-fated drone accident before his scheduled start in Game 2 of the 2016 ALCS that compromised an already short-handed starting rotation.
Perhaps it comes from my belief that manager Terry Francona stuck with Bauer too long in when the Chicago Cubs started to tag him in Game 5 of the 2016 World Series.
Perhaps the root is watching some excruciating Bauer starts when he messed around in the early innings, some of them this season.
It's not that I don't believe in Bauer's talent. Once at dinner in Phoenix during spring training, I vehemently defended the right-hander's ability to an Arizona baseball fan convinced the Diamondbacks' third overall pick in 2011 would never amount to anything.
Bauer proved he deserved a chance with another organization when he went 10-1 with a 2.60 ERA in his final 13 starts this season, including a career-high nine-game winning streak.
But in the back of my mind, and in the minds of baseball fans around the country, there had to be seeds of doubt.
Otherwise, Francona's decision to start Bauer over ace Corey Kluber in Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees Thursday night wouldn't have been so widely panned.
To me, second-guessing the best manager in baseball doesn't seem wise. But the decision, which set up Kluber to start on five days rest in a possible ALDS Game 5, goes against Francona's mantra of thinking only about today. It seemed like the Indians were getting ahead of themselves, dangerous in a game fraught with superstition.
"You never go into a game thinking you're going to lose, but if you do you have your ace coming back in Game 2," Francona said Tuesday. "The biggest thing was keeping him on his five days. That was really important to Kluber and that was the only way we could do it."
The explanation was fishy. Kluber will be pitching on six days rest in Friday's Game 2. Francona said he talked to Kluber about pushing him back two weeks ago, sounding like the much-debated decision was Kluber's choice.
Kluber shot that down, putting the responsibility back on Francona and the front office.
"I don't really think it took convincing. They explained the thought process behind it," Kluber said Wednesday. "I don't think it's something they just threw together over a couple drinks one night. My response was I'm willing to pitch whenever you feel it gives us the best chance to win."
In a 4-0 Indians' victory in Game 1, Bauer rewarded his manager's loyalty with a Kluberesque performance for his first postseason win.
With superb command, Bauer no-hit the Yankees through 51/3 innings, the longest such bid in Indians' postseason history. The previous best was four innings by Bob Feller in Game 1 of the 1948 World Series and Early Wynn in Game 2 of the 1954 World Series.
Going 62/3 innings, Bauer gave up two hits, walked one and struck out eight, including Aaron Judge, likely a landslide Rookie of the Year winner, three times (twice looking).
Bauer, 26, proved that his maturation is real, the Indians' faith in him deserved. His best friends may be mechanical, his routines unheard of, but he seems to finally understand that the Indians have his back.
"I think he probably has a lot more trust in the staff and his teammates than maybe he did initially just because now he realizes how much everybody is pulling for him to do well because he's a big part of our team," Kluber said. "Just because somebody may do something that's a little bit unconventional doesn't make it wrong."
The Indians acquired Bauer in a three-team trade with the Diamondbacks and Reds in December 2012. Francona remembered when he first saw Bauer at spring training in 2013, and it was from afar. It was about the third inning of a road game against the Brewers and Francona glanced toward an auxiliary field and saw a ball arching back and forth.
Francona commented on it to pitching coach Mickey Callaway, who saw Bauer long-tossing and said, "That's Trevor."
Francona talked earlier this week about how far Bauer has come. But the reverse is also true. For a time, the relationship seemed shaky on both sides. Bauer wouldn't listen to Callaway's suggestions, obsessed with throwing too many pitches, with doing it his way. Although the Indians were persistent, there surely had to be frustration.
On Thursday night, the second-guessing about going with Bauer over Kluber was silenced. The Indians' conviction was rewarded by a seemingly unsalvageable talent who may have only needed time and trust.
