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Many Cleveland fans track the Indians decline back to the day Jim Thome left for Philadelphia. Others bemoan Manny Ramirez’s departure as the catalyst for the downfall. Most, including myself, look to blame a penny-pinching owner failing to load up on talent in the name of fiscal responsibility.

But for all of the misery Tribe fans have inflicted on themselves over the past few seasons, at some point acknowledging and appreciating the presence of Travis Hafner as a world-class slugger needs to become part of the Indians fans mindset and shouldn’t cloud the fans view of club management.

Yesterday Hafner blasted his sixth grand slam of the year in a 13-0 rout of the Kansas City Royals. The blast tied Don Mattingly’s major league record for grand slams in a season and pushed his season numbers up to .302/35/104. With six weeks left in the season, Hafner approaches team records for a DH.

At $2.7 million - Hafner must be considered a bargain compared to other major league sluggers. The Indians hold a club option for 2008 at $4.75 million and have secured a middle-of-the-lineup bat for the next three years at a number much less than the annual salary of say - David Ortiz ($12.5 million starting in 2007) or Manny Ramirez ($19 million in 2006).

For all the things going wrong in 2006 with the Cleveland Indians, this is an example of something done right.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Reading too much into Cincinnati’s 10-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night could lead one to conclude GM Wayne Krivsky made huge mistakes in trading for Bill Bray, Rheal Cormier, Gary Majewski, and Kyle Loshe. After all, the bullpen torched a 4-4 game and turned it into a rout.

But that conclusion would be disingenuous. The Reds defense, at times questionable but capable of amazing plays, bumbled away the top of the seventh inning with two disasterous plays. After Ryan Freel dropped a fly ball in the right-field corner and newcomer Royce Clayton failed to finish off an inning-killing double play, two walks and a bases-clearing double did the Reds in.

Perhaps Krivsky overcompensated and gave up too much for a few late-inning arms. Perhaps the bullpen didn’t need this much attention and now the rest of the ballclub has paid a price. Perhaps the Reds, predicted to finsih last in a weak NL Central, have overplayed their hand.

Maybe the presence of Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez in the field makes a difference and the Reds get out of the inning. But who is to say the previous bullpen doesnt find a way to give it up in the eighth or ninth? Krivsky knew he had a bullpen that couldn’t reach the postseason. So he did something about it.

Popularity: 17% [?]

Mark Shapiro should be careful. After sending another fan favorite due for a payday out of town, Shapiro’s transactions look less like a GM reloading for another run at another AL Central title and more like a desperate GM following owner’s orders to dump payroll. For all the talk about improving the ballclub and coveting prospects, the Indians have essentially traded an All-Star for a guy they gave up three seasons ago.

Similar to the Coco Crisp, Ronnie Belliard stood on the cusp of a nice pay raise as his contract set to expire at the end of the season. And similar to the Crisp deal, Belliard was traded away to a ballclub with deeper pockets, this time to the St. Louis Cardinals. In return, the Indians received a very similar player in Hector Luna with fewer pending contractual needs.

The transactional nature of the Indians fails the organization in one key area - fan support. At some point the Indians front office needs to realize you can’t five-year plan yourself into the World Series. Filling the seats might have something to do with having ballplayers fans would pay to see. Journeymen like Aaron Boone, Casey Blake, and Todd Hollandsworth might sound good in a boardroom, look good on a balance sheet, and fill a gap in the locker room. But fans come to see stars and exciting baseball. And while the Tribe has a few in Travis Hafner, Grady Sizemore, and Victor Martinez, each day the Indians look more like a aimless corporation than a ballclub. Each player being treated like a widget that can be replaced with an similarly effective yet cheaper version. Sure, winning bumps attendance. But so does having an attachment to the ballclub and its players.

Tribe fans cheered a homerun by former Indians first baseman Ben Broussard Saturday night. Despite the fact manager Eric Wedge kept Broussard in the doghouse for most of the season, Tribe fans appreciated his play. Less appreciated, however, is the questionable management direction put forth by Larry Dolan and his crew of cost-cutting accountants. Somewhere the model for the Indians turned upside down - the fans not coming to see the team has nothing to do with the product put on the field. Do you buy a car because the next version will be better.

No, and it shows in the standings and the ever increasing empty seats.

Popularity: 21% [?]

Browns fans - this is how it goes. We might as well get used to it. It has nothing to do with curses, Red Right 88’s, Drive’s, or old fashioned bad luck. It is the reality of the modern NFL where players are too big for their own health and the rigorous of offseason programs push player’s bodies beyond physical limits. Players get hurt. Other players step up. Just ask the New England Patriots how this works.

There is no need to mourn Cleveland’s loss of LeCharles Bentley. Certainly he was going to be a dominant force in the middle of an improved offensive line. Absolutely the Browns are worse off with him on the sideline than on the field. But this is the NFL, and say nothing of the 52 other guys that will make the final cut, the Browns will - and must - find a way to get on without him.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Take one glance at the MLB standings and you’ll see that only the Cubs, Pirates, and Royals are the only teams further out of first place than the Cleveland Indians. Sure an argument can be made that the Indians play in the top-heavy AL Central with Detroit and Chicago - but those franchises have hardly been considered world-beaters until two seasons ago.

The last two months of 2005 appear to be nothing more than a fluke, a decent ballclub getting hot and climbing the standings only to return to form for the last week of the season. For the Indians to salvage anything from 2006, serious changes need to be made throughout the organization.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Mark Shapiro has to be wondering if he’s made a huge mistake. If not for the 11 runs a game the Indians have plated for Paul Byrd, the free-agent signee might be 0-7 with a 6.52 ERA. Well, the 6.52 ERA is correct, but somehow the right-hander has managed to win four games despite one of the highest regular pitcher ERAs in all of baseball. $7 million dollars doesnt get you much more than losing three-of-four to the lowly Royals.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Two hard fouls into the Cavaliers 89-84 loss to Washington in Game 2 of the first round of the NBA playoffs, Lebron James looked frustrated. He barked at the officials and glared at the Wizards delivering the hard contact on the way to the basket. Following his jaw-dropping playoff debut in which everything flowed effortlessly, the Wizards committed themselves to making James work harder than he did on Saturday afternoon in Game 1. And it worked.

James struggled with his shooting and uncharacteristically turned the ball over 10 times. He still managed to lead the Cavs with 26 points, but the 10 turnovers exceeded his nine rebounds and two assists. Everytime James headed toward the hoop, Washington collapsed and forced James into tough looks. Washington made adjustments and Cleveland stood around watching Drew Gooden enjoy a career night. Gooden single-handedly kept Cleveland in the ballgame scoring 24 points and 16 rebounds.

Game 3 tips off on Friday night and Cleveland better take note that the series has moved into a more physical realm. 30 years since the Miracle of Richfield, LeBron and the Cavs need to find a way to get past Washington.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Take a quick look at the NBA standings and ask yourself the following question: How many teams are in a position to win 50 games this season?

Answer: Seven. Detroit, San Antonio, Dallas, Phoenix, and Miami are all at 50-plus. Cleveland and New Jersey lurk just below the milestone at 49 wins. That’s some pretty elite company, and while Cleveland may not be favored to win the championship just yet - you have to believe that a 50-win season proves the Cavaliers are one of the NBA’s premier franchises.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Bronson Arroyo’s start with the Cincinnati Reds has been as fantastic a debut as any player has had with a new team in recent memory. Effective and efficient starting pitching coupled with a surprisingly hot bat has quickly lifted Arroyo to psuedo cult hero status among the Reds faithful.

But more significant than his individual performance has been the two Reds victories when Arroyo takes the ball. Saying nothing to diminish the early accomplishments of the Reds this season - certainly other guys such as Adam Dunn, Ken Griffey Jr., and Felipe Lopez have contributed to the wins. But the sense about this Reds season is that despite having to give up Wily Mo Pena, Cincinnati’s front office is capable of making good things happen on the field.

And that has changed because of Arroyo.

Popularity: 20% [?]

When Bob Huggins took the head coaching gig at Kansas State, it might have made bigger news in Cincinnati than Manhattan, Kansas. It certainly didn’t send significant shock waves throughout the college basketball landscape.

Well, that all changed yesterday when Huggins hired Dalonte Hill away from Charlotte and most likely stole Michael Beasley away from the 49ers. Beasley, a 6-foot-9 monster, will be a nice addition to Huggins’ cadre of talent and will make K-State a Big 12 contender in the coming season. Though the deal isn’t final, the writing is on the wall.

Huggins is about to turn to the Wildcats into an NCAA hoops power, and the Kansas State administration seems to have no qualms with the way Huggins conducts his business. When it’s all said and done, don’t be surprised to see Huggins back on top as one of the most hated men in college basketball.

Popularity: 11% [?]