Instead, they were knocked off by these Orioles in the division series. And now, the tables have completely turned. Baltimore, winner of 98 games this season, is the heavy favorite against Cleveland, a team that finished just 10 games above .500. Call this the Indians' chance for revenge if you will. But this is a different Cleveland team.
Belle is no longer around to cast an ominous cloud over the entire clubhouse.
Kenny Lofton is now filling up highlight reels in Atlanta. And the man who took the heat for it all, GM John Hart, loves what he is seeing. We didn't win 100 games, but we've learned how to scrape. And we've learned how to have fun. But ridding themselves of headcase Belle was actually a matter of addition by subtraction.