Cleveland Indians: A state of unease heading into 2019

The Cleveland Indians continue to be World Series contenders, but there is an odd feeling surrounding the team after falling short once again.

I have covered the Cleveland Indians here at Believeland Ball since August 2016.

That means I have written about three excruciating postseason exits.

For those who don’t know, Monday will be my final day with the site. I will write a more formal goodbye then, but I wanted to first write about the unease I’m feeling as the team approaches a new year.

The 2016 postseason was one big party. It ended with a World Series loss, but the team was coming back in 2017 to win the crown. Except that didn’t happen.

Then came the sweep in 2018 and here we sit wondering if the team is even going to be good enough to handily win the division once again. I think they will be, but the roster could still use some upgrades, specifically in the outfield. Sticking Jason Kipnis or Carlos Santana out there is not an ideal option.

I worry about how we will view the 2019 regular season. I saw so many people claim the 2018 regular season was meaningless, essentially ignoring the fun that came with some exciting wins. Ignoring all that meant some fans only cared about three brutal losses to the Houston Astros.

I hope everyone can get that 2016 feeling back in 2019. That fans will get excited about the team all year, and not just sit around waiting for October.

I’m uneasy about the team’s postseason chances after two straight early exits. Yet I know October baseball can be random and any team that qualifies has a legitimate shot to win it all.

Texas Rangers fans must have had this feeling after two straight World Series defeats in 2010 and 2011. The team got so close to winning its first World Series, only to lose both and then lose in the Wild Card Game in 2012. I imagine the 2013 regular season didn’t have fans feeling optimistic.

I am not leaving the site because I have been beaten down by the team. It is more a matter of changing circumstances in my life.

And I don’t want to make it seem like I am so depressed about the Indians. I just find it harder to get as excited as I was a few years ago. It’s almost like I’m waiting for the doom to happen, as it has every season since 1948.

Maybe it’s just the weather, because I know I will be fired up when that first pitch is thrown to kick off the 2019 season. It’s all part of the ride of being a fan. As they say, there is always next year.