Cliff Lee

It is hard to be a specific fan of a given Major League team at times. Still, I did become a fan of the Cleveland Indians during my time in Cleveland. As with all teams, the line up changes. The Indians that took the field when I first moved to Cleveland were not the same players when I left the area.

So, you sometimes start to admire a player on your team. Just because the team's management decides the player no longer deserves a spot on the team, or because they feel the need to trade him, you still have an interest in their career.

Even though Jim Thome received cheers and boos when he returned to Cleveland, he is still considered a good guy. He is still a personal favorite.

Casey Blake is another favorite. I always liked the way he handled himself with the Tribe. I met him once too and he was very pleasant. I will cheer for him with whatever team he plays for.

Cliff Lee is another guy like that. I am a big fan of weird lefties (being one myself). So Cliff is my guy. I actually got to meet him a couple of times in Cleveland, and I thought he was just a real pleasant pro. He very kindly signed a couple of cards and photos for me. I know he had some issues with the Indians, leading to his brief demotion to the AAA club, but he came back and won the Cy Young award and Come Back Player of the Year the next year!

It was great seeing him play in the World Series. I will be cheering for Cliff while he is with the Mariners this year.