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Scoring Machine: The Tribe finds itself in a familiar spot in the AL Central, but with enough firepower to become the highest-scoring team in history, thanks in large part to Roberto Alomar. Clues to understanding why the Cleveland Indians might turn out to be the most prolific scoring machine ever in baseball aren't hard to find. Take four consecutive at bats last Friday by Roberto Alomar, Cleveland's Veg-O-Matic of a No. 3 hitter. In those trips to the plate at Tiger Stadium, the switch-hitting Alomar pulled two run-scoring singles to rightfield, hammered a home run into the upper deck in right and delicately plunked down a bunt single that flirted shamelessly with the third base foul line. Oh, by the way, he also swiped his ninth base in 10 tries this season and played an errorless second base for the 43rd straight game. Talk about your player with tools. Only Bob Vila has more ... Cleveland is carpet bombing the American League with bold hints of what may come this season. Through Sunday the Indians boasted not only the best record in baseball (26-10) but also the best start in the franchise's 99-year history and a major-league-leading .302 team batting average. Moreover, they were on pace to become only the seventh club since 1900 to score 1,000 runs. With 251 runs in 36 games, the countdown to the millennium had begun. If the Tribe continues to score seven runs a game, it will shatter the 1931 New York Yankees' modern record of 1,067 runs. "It's like facing a beer league softball team -- everyone can take you out," Tigers pitcher Brian Moehler says. "It's just a matter of when they do it. As a pitcher you almost want to back up two steps after throwing so you don't get hurt." As for pitching, well, like Cleveland general manager John Hart, we'll get around to that later. For now it's a lineup that's deeper than Proust that has the Indians flying. Through Sunday, Alomar was seventh in the league in batting (.343) and in on-base percentage (.442), and first in runs (37), which puts him on a pace to break Earl Averill's 68-year-old club record of 140. After a subpar 1998, centerfielder Kenny Lofton (.329) has his pilot light burning again. Cleanup hitter and rightfielder Manny Ramirez was hitting .340, had clouted 10 homers and was leading the majors in RBIs (47) thanks to seeing 114 runners on base in his first 150 at bats. Finally, the regular 7-8-9 hitters, leftfielder David Justice (.283, 26 RBIs), third baseman Travis Fryman (24 RBIs) and catcher Sandy Alomar (.317), were worthy of the 3-4-5 spots in most any other lineup. -- Tom Verducci Issue date: May 24, 1999 Photograph by V.J. Lovero Rookie of the Year Watch | SI's Inside Baseball Archive |
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