The face Cleveland has been waiting for all of these years

No, not first base umpire Jim Reynolds.

I am talking about Lonnie Chisenhall.

That is the name of the man who will lead Cleveland to the promised land.
The title that has been eluding Cleveland since 1964.

There have been many false prophets. Many Cleveland sports figures who looked like they were going to deliver a championship parade up Superior Avenue but failed.

Herb Score, Gaylord Perry and his brother Jim, Sam McDowell, Len Barker, Joe Carter, Julio Franco and that Sports Illustrated cover in 1987 promised unfulfilled greatness for the Indians.

And the great Albert Belle, Manny Ramirez, Charles Nagy, Carlos Baerga, Jim Thome, Omar Vizquel and Kenny Lofton teams got as close as you could get. And the C. C. Sabathia, Victor Martinez and Ryan Garko team teased.

Mike Phipps, Jerry Sherk, Thom Darden, Brian Sipe, Ozzie Newsome, Webster Slaughter, Clay Matthews, Bernie Kosar and Eric Metcalf all came close with the Browns, but they were no Chisenhall.

And forget Cavs like Campy Russell, Craig Ehlo, Brad Daugherty, Larry Nance, Hot Rod Williams and that fellow named LeBron.

Push all those names to the side. Cleveland is Chisenhall-ville now! Lonnie drove in a run and got a pair of hits in his first game last night against a good Arizona team. The Indians won in the 9th inning and kept pace with the Tigers.

And all the while Cleveland is doing a unique strategy to keep contending in 2011. Instead of trading away young players to make a run, they are bringing up the young players to have a run this year and beyond.

The season is about 1/2 way through and the Indians are competing now and maybe for the next few years.

Jump on the Lonnie Chisenhall bandwagon NOW!
He could be the star you have been waiting for.

Either way, the NBA Prediction of My Message for Cleveland Fans might have been wrong, but the sentiment is correct. This Indians team is worth watching.

Let the Lonnie Chisenhall era begin! (Kind of rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?)