Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw...Sizemore?

Close your eyes for a second. I'm going to list a few stats, and you try to guess what team I'm talking about.

5th overall in batting average (.259)
16th in ERA (3.80)
Team leader in home runs has 10
No one else has more than 6
Team leader in wins has 6
1 other pitcher has 5 wins
33 wins
1st place

Open your eyes.

Give up?

It's the Cleveland Indians.

I won't blame you if you close your eyes again, and I certainly won't think less of you if you decide to keep them closed until November.

Somehow, with team stats that don't place them any higher than 8th overall in any category, the Cleveland Indians have had a stranglehold on the AL Central divison since Opening Day, and it doesn't seem as if they'll be letting go any time soon.

On the flip side, the Minnesota Twins, winner of the AL Central 6 times in the last decade, are 20 games under .500, trail the Indians by 16.5 games, and don't rank higher than 26th overall in any category, offensive or defensive.

Uhh...what?

Did someone flip the standings? Is this an elaborate prank played by Native American spirits, to make us think we're back in the '90s, or even the '40s? The Indians haven't had a winning record since 2007 (the last time CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee played in the same uniform and made a postseason run before falling to the Red Sox in the ALCS), and won only 69 games last year. Now, they're almost halfway to that number...and we're only a third of the way through the season.

Should we blame powerful young catcher Carlos Santana for revitalizing the offense? Should we shake our fists at Shin-Soo Choo for exempting his mandatory military service for his native South Korea? Should we get mad at Josh Tomlin for leading the team, and most of the AL, with 7 wins and a 3.07 ERA? Hell, should we blame anyone at all? Is this a situation that deserves blame? Well, maybe. But the blame doesn't rest on the headrests of these real tomahawk choppers (no offense, Atlanta). They've simply been doing what every ballclub should be doing: they've been winning games. You want to blame someone for the Indians' successes? Blame Ron Gardenhire. Blame Ozzie Guillen. Blame Jim Leyland and Ned Yost, but keep Manny Acta's name out of the tirading and shouting. When you want to start giving them praise, that's when Acta's named should be brought up. Regardless of injuries, rainouts, unlucky calls and at times faltering offense and defense, Acta's team has pulled through to have one of the best records in the game. All the other managers have dealt with just as many of these negative consequences, and have yet to turn things around. You can't get mad at the Indians. They're doing what they haven't done enough of since the mid 90's, and that's lighting up the basepaths, shutting opponents down from the mound, and refusing to allow anyone to overtake them for very long. Will this hold up? Only time will tell. But, considering that the favored Twins are so far back entering June, it seems likely that this October, we'll all have to take a puff of that peace pipe these boys are passing around...they sure seem to have enough to share.