Watching and talking to Cliff Lee after he won his 20^th game Monday night was a bit of a strange experience. First, the Indians had a video on the scoreboard congratulating Lee from Gaylord Perry, the team’s last 20-game winner. This was a good idea. But Perry wore a Giants hat. Odd, no?

Then Lee went on rambling soliloquies that didn’t really reveal a lot. One of his main themes was that he was glad it was over because he didn’t have to answer any more questions about the pursuit. This is a case when, as a journalist, you feel a tad odd. Players get mad when they are asked about things not going well, yet they get tired of being asked about things when they do go well. This seems like the proverbial no-win situation.There’s no question the repetitive nature of the job can be wearing on some guys, but there’s also no question it’s part of the job. And it seems like winning 20 games might make a guy enjoy the questions a little more. That being said, we’re all different and Lee insisted more than once he was glad it was over.

Lee also was asked if he had ever met Perry, and the thought barely crossed his mind that the pair had shaken hands at the All-Star Game. He almost had to be reminded of the meeting.

It just seemed … interesting.

All this means nothing, really, compared to the reality that Lee did win 20 games this year after being sent to the minors in 2007. He was barely an afterthought to a playoff season a year ago; this year he’s the Indians MVP. He also showed some fire during the game. Lee said White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski was “chirping” at Lee during the game, and when the game was over Lee seemed to point to the White Sox dugout. Many Chicago players stayed in the dugout as the Indians shook hands, which is very unusual. It’s not unlike Pierzynski to talk, but after the game he denied it. Were the White Sox mad at Lee? His answer: A sharp and direct “I don’t care.”

So now word breaks that Cavs guard Delonte West is mulling a two-year offer to play in Moscow. West is a restricted free agent, and according to Yahoo.com he is pondering a $10 million deal. Gee, I wonder who (the agent) leaked that information (negotiating ploy), and for what reason (to get the Cavs to blink). Here’s a thought: If this report is true and if West wants to go to Moscow, well he should just go. Just leave. Now. West was not starting or playing a lot in Seattle when Cleveland traded for him. He became a starting point guard. He played on the same team as LeBron James. He’s on a very good team, and James now trusts him (which showed when James gave him the ball in that game-winning situation in Washington). He played for fans that embraced him. He’s playing in the NBA, with the best players in the world. He’s not going to find a situation that’s a whole lot better. Cleveland isn’t Paris, no, but it sure as hell isn’t Moscow either. Wouldn’t you love to see how beautiful Moscow is in mid-January? There’s a reason they wear those ridiculous hats and drink all that vodka, right? If West thinks Moscow with a bunch of new guys is a better place to play basketball than on a team that likes him and respects him and helps him and has LeBron, if money is all that matters to him, well then he should just go. Otherwise, just work out a deal and leave this other laughable stuff out of things.

Jayson Stark of ESPN.com says the Indians are about to trade Casey Blake to the Dodgers for a hard-hitting catcher and hard-throwing pitcher. It would be a shame to see a good guy like Blake go, especially because he’s hitting and having a decent year. This is a trade I scratch my head about a little bit. Winning teams have guys like Blake on the roster, and if the Indians plan to win next year it might be a good idea to have him on the roster.

The optimism at Browns camp really is bubbling over. Part of me says that’s great, that the fans deserve optimism and the Browns are coming off a 10-win season. But another part of me says that I’ve seen a lot of “optimistic” openings to training camp since 1999, and that optimism went south in a hurry. So let’s be optimistic, but let’s also give it some time – like until a game is played – before putting the bubbly on ice.

Hear that the Packers made it clear to Brett Favre soon after the season that they did not welcome him back. So Favre has been operating under the impression since February that Green Bay wanted to “move on” (as if he has rabies or something). This notion baffles a lot of inside-football folks, who think it’s poppycock to think that the Packers will be as good with Aaron Rodgers as they were with Favre. As was mentioned, Mike McCarthy brought in a brand new offense and new terminology when he was hired three years ago. Favre struggled the first year, got better the second and showed he understood things last year. He should be able to pick right up this year, yet the Packers tell Favre they do not want him back? Makes no sense. Zero. Zip. Nada. There’s one concept in professional sports: Win. Teams try to win, fans cheer to win. I don’t know anyone who buys a ticket to see a team try. They buy to see the team win. Period. Somehow in five months Aaron Rodgers became a better quarterback than Brett Favre. I repeat: Makes no sense.

Anyone see what Washington’s Gilbert Arenas had to say about losing to the Cavs two of the past three years in the playoffs? Here is is, according to the Washington Post sports blog: "It's kind of when you think about it. Everybody says we can't get past Cleveland. Cleveland beat us one year, that was three years ago. The other years they've just been beating up on some hurt dogs. We just want to get our fair shot when we're healthy at the right time, because two years we showed what kind of team we are….We were rolling, we were top five in the league, and that's what kind of team we are when we're healthy. When we're healthy that's the kind of team we are, we're a top five team in the league." Arenas was asked what he told his teammates after the playoffs: “You guys played the whole season without me and you guys made it to the playoffs. Tell Cleveland to play without LeBron. I don't think they won a game last year."

Why did James Posey go to New Orleans instead of back to Boston or to Cleveland? New Orleans gave a 31-year-old role player a four-year contract. The Celtics and Cavs were not willing to go that far. Was it right? Well, Danny Ferry constantly stresses the need to be flexible in his contracts, and adding that much money for a guy who would be 35 in the final year would reduce flexibility. Many folks believe that NBA guys are on borrowed time when they get to 33. Posey is a very good player for what he does, which is be a part-time backup who can shoot and defend. He's also an excellent pregame hugger, he wrote, rolling his eyes. He would be valuable on the Cavs, no doubt. But it does not seem like losing him now means the Cavs championship hopes are dashed. It would have been a nice get, but it’s not a gigantic loss.

I heard some folks on the radio chattering that the Indians could get back in the race after the All-Star break. Well, never say never, but let’s do the math. Cleveland was 41-53 at the break. That’s 94 games, meaning there were 68 left (impressive math, eh?). If the Indians won 40 of 68, they’d finish at 81-81. That would not get them back in the race. Ninety-one wins would, which only means the Indians would have to go 50-18 after the All-Star break. And since they lost the first game in Seattle, they now have to go 50-17. It can happen, yes, but the math indicates just how slim the chances really are.

Paul Pierce seems to be enjoying his celebrity.

Fox’s Charlie Rosen assesses the Lebron James-will-sign-with-New-Jersey saga here.

And … let’s go back to Yellowstone … hope this does not offend anyone, but here are some animals and their … umm … young. First elk, then antelope. Can anyone explain why it’s so interesting to see animals in their natural environment?

Finally, here is a sunset view (hope it comes out) in Lamar Valley, which has to be one of the most beautiful spots in the United States of America. The first one looks into the sun. The folks in the foreground are looking up the hill at a pack of wolves.

This one points in the direction the sun is shining. The colors continue to amaze me, but then again I've got a pretty simple mind. When I die, though, I want to come back as a buffalo in the Lamar Valley. There simply are very few places where it would be better to wander aimlessly and eat grass for the rest of eternity.

So I crossed paths with my friend Frank. Online that is. This is an example of journalism of the zeroes. Instant messages, that kind of thing.

Anyway, Frank is quite the sports guy. He probably knows more than I do about this stuff, which really isn’t saying much. He’s also a top-notch smart aleck, which you’ll find out soon enough. Frank’s not his real name. It’s been changed to protect the innocent.

At any rate, we both watched a healthy portion of the All-Star game (not together), and we had this conversation online Wednesday about the Game. For some reason I found it interesting.

In addition, there’s really not a lot going on in sports right now. It’s that midseason baseball lull, when there are no games, football has yet to start and ESPN is close to showing the ESPYs, the greatest waste of time in our generation.

Me: Quite the midseason classic eh?
Frank: I was hoping for a tie
Me: Game 7 (of the World Series) on a neutral site?
Frank: Could have it here
Me: Sure.
Me: League Park?
Frank: Rubber bowl. It would be a sellout with CC pitching for the Brewers.
Me: He'll pack 'em in … and probably win with 14 Ks
Frank: Game winning homer too.
Me: Second and third RBIs.
Frank: Whiffs Manny to end game
Me: After knocking him down.
Me: In his postgame he does an Art Modell and thanks the city of Cleveland.
Frank: Modell blows. … A friend of mine wants to know why you hate CC so much
Me: I don’t hate him. I like him. He just wants the money. His words that he loved it here were a sham. And … I don't believe you have a friend.
Frank: Well, this guy isn't really a friend. Let's say he's a guy I know. … I don't remember CC using the words ‘I love it here.’
Me: He said it in spring training … ‘Everybody knows how much I love it here.’ Something like that. So there.
Frank: I must have been sleeping when he said that
Me: That’s not surprising … I heard some talk show guys last night saying that the Indians can get back in the race … be down five by end of August .
Frank: Five behind KC?
Me: Matt LaPorta will be on the Olympic team
Frank: He'll be the star
Me: Until he tears his Achilles.
Frank: He'll still be back before Hafner
Me: I’d like to talk with Jake.
Frank: Westbrook?
Me: Yea. The pitcher who got hurt.
Frank: He'll be back before Hafner, Time to go cut the grass

Yes, it may be lame. But For some reason that conversation seems to sum up the feeling of the fan base these days.

It’s kind of confusing what’s happening in Green Bay with Brett Favre. Not his teenage I won’t-I will stances toward football, mind you. But the Packers attitude toward Favre. A few months ago Favre had led the Packers to the NFC Championship Game and he was the greatest thing to happen to upper Wisconsin since the invention of the heater. Now he decides to unretire and the Packers tell him he’ll be a backup if he plays. Huh? How does that work? A guy is a Hall of Famer and has his best year in a long, long time and because he didn’t take part in offseason workouts he’s a backup? Apparently Favre made the Packers mad by changing his mind, so they’re going to show him and make him take second-string snaps in training camp behind Aaron Rodgers. Because he missed offseason workouts. You just can’t make this stuff up. I swear, the more you hear about the NFL way of thinking, the more it seems that sometimes their minds are affected by the fact they are so insulated from thinking about nothing but their sport 74 hours a day. Think about this: Brett Favre decides to unretire and he’s a backup to a guy who’s never played. Rocky and Bullwinkle made more sense.

The other day a story broke about the dwindling population in cities of Northern Ohio. Cleveland has taken a real hit; more people have left the city than any other city in the country except New Orleans – and that exodus was caused by a rather large natural disaster called Katrina. What did our governor, Ted Strickland, have to say? This: “Perhaps in the not too distant future, people are going to be leaving arid areas of this country, the New Mexicos and the Arizonas. They'll come running back to Ohio, because we have water, and they're going to be thirsty." Thirsty. There’s a slogan: “Want a drink? Come to Ohio.” And we wonder why our economy is in trouble?

Complaining about the Indians financial situation is kind of like complaining about gas prices. What good is it going to do? The Indians will never be a team that spends $150 million on salaries. It’s just not going to happen. Best to accept that reality and enjoy our lovely water. It’s not going to change. I took a look at the team’s finances in our Sunday paper; you can read that here if you like. But one thing that struck me was that during the halcyon glory days of the 1990s, the Indians were in fact among the highest in payroll. But they were at or about $60 million while the highest spending teams were at or about $70-$75 million. Now the highest spending team, the Yankees, is at $209 million, while they Indians are projected to be at $85 million. If that disparity does not illustrate what a big-market team can do and a mid-to-small market team cannot, then nothing will. Everybody wishes the Indians could just write blank checks to players. They can’t. Someday the folks in the dry, arid southwest will realize this.

Sheldon Ocker, our outstanding baseball writer, got in touch with his feminine side in this story about the CC Sabathia trade. And don’t tell him I said feminine side and Ocker in the same sentence, either.

I’m not so sure I’d trade Casey Blake. Yes, he’s in his 30s, but he’s hitting .282 with nine home runs and 52 RBI and has played third and first base. The guy has a lot of value for a non-superstar player with oodles of drinking water flowing from his spigot.

ESPN.com says the Cavs are out of the James Posey hunt. No word on the accuracy of that statement, or when or where Posey will sign. Or where he will find water if he’s not with the Cavs.

This is what new Browns receiver Donte Stallworth said in the Boston Globe: “I've been kind of joking with Randy [Moss] and some of the guys that the road to the Super Bowl goes through Cleveland."

Finally … back to Yellowstone …

Anyone out there know what kind of birds these are. They nested in the crook of a .. well … a bathroom in the Lamar Valley, one of the vast valleys where animals love to roam in this great national park. These birds flitted in and out like crazy, and seemed to enjoy peeking out to pose for the camera. Any wise birders out there know what kind they are?

Travis Hafner talked to the media for the first time since he went on the disabled list in May, and he said his right shoulder is at 50 percent strength. That doesn’t sound too promising, but Hafner actually said his shoulder has improved a good amount the past couple weeks.

“It’s been getting stronger every week,” he said. “Ten or 20 percent every week in the strength tests. Right now we’re pretty hopeful that we can start swinging the bat in a couple weeks.”

It would have been nice to hear Hafner say the shoulder injury went back to last year’s playoffs because it might have explained his struggles, but he said it started first in spring training. Things became intolerable in May. At that point, he could not use his right arm for anything. He called it “helpless.”

The injury itself sounds pretty weird, a word even Hafner used. He said there is no structural problem, but that weakness and instability in the shoulder caused his rotator cuff and scapula muscle to just shut down. It would seem like a nerve problem led to this difficulty, but Hafner said determining the cause would be speculation. He said he hopes to return this year – for some part of the season.

Manager Eric Wedge, meanwhile, addressed the media pretty directly about the pregame meeting he held with his team. My translation of Wedge’s words: Grow up, forget what’s happened, play like a professional. He might have been kinder, of course, but the 10-game winning streak the Indians brought home obviously indicated the team had a bit of a hangdog approach.

Here are some of Wedge’s comments:

On the team: “They’re the ones that have to go out and play. They’re the ones that have to go out and execute. They’re the ones that have to come here with the attitude and the approach that we’re accustomed to, and that’s a winning attitude. That’s a winning edge.”

On being down about the trade of C.C. Sabathia: “I understand it. I do. But that’s done. Now we move on and play baseball.”

On the losing streak: “It weighs on you. You wear it. You’re supposed to. You wear it individually and you wear it as a ballclub. But you can’t let it get you down. You can’t.”

On the team, again: “I don’t assume anything, but I don’t worry about the effort of this ballclub because I know they’re going to show up and get after it. I know they give a damn. I know they care about each other. I know they respect the game. Because those are things we just wouldn’t put up with. And they know that. So I don’t worry about that. But, I don’t want their heads down, I don’t want them thinking about things they shouldn’t think about.”

It almost seems like the Indians should wipe the slate clean, tell the team to mentally approach the games like the record is 0-0. It’s lame, but it’s what the Indians have at the moment. A team has to hang its hat on something, right?

And … if Wedge wanted to see a different approach and attitude, Thursday’s big win over Tampa was a good start.

As for Yellowstone, here are some random shots .. including an elk staring at the silly humans, a couple scenes taken by my 12-year-old daughter and a pronghorn adult and child.

I've seen a few comments here and online and I got a few e-mails related to my opinion that C.C. Sabathia didn't really love it in Cleveland and that all he wanted was the money. One said I was a hypocrite, that I would never turn down more money if offered somewhere else. This is a relative statement. If we're talking a difference of, say, $40,000 and $4 million, yes I would take the money. Candidly, I admit that fact. But if the difference were totals that would still allow me to live a decent life and take care of my daughters, there would be other factors. Lifestyle, location, climate, the schools … all enter into it. Fact is I did just that once in my career. I took a pay cut to return to journalism, to work for a newspaper, because that was better suited for me. I loved the job I left, and was treated extremely well by good people. But this was a better fit — even with less money. Now, this does not make me a hero. In fact, in some eyes it might make me dumber or dumpier than I think I am. It's just a fact; we all make decisions at one time or another and they're not always based completely on money.

But … when comparing our personal situations let's be honest and state that there's a big difference between comparing jobs that pay, to throw out numbers, $80,000 and one that pays $65,000, and jobs that pay in the millions. Sabathia's contract extension offer from Cleveland was worth $91 million. That's $91 million dollars. Count the zeroes — 91,000,000. OK, he gets taxed. Let's say after tax he takes home $55,000,000 — and I have no idea, I'm just guessing. If we went out to spend $20,000 per day, it would take us 2,750 days to spend that $55 million. That's 7 1/2 years of spending $20,000 per day every day. Can't be done. At least not in my world. I suppose you could buy a Prius every day, but even then you'd get tired of all the cars. (Figure it with $91 million and it's 4,550 days.)

Sabathia has an opportunity the rest of us can only dream of. He can handpick where he wants to live and play baseball — and it was because of the amount of money he will make. No matter where he signs, his contract will be huge. And I would submit that in that instance things like quality of life and a place where you are happy gain importance — because the more the money increases the less relevance it has on your lifestyle. Sabathia will have more money than he will ever need. No matter where he plays, he will be able to do whatever he wants. Unless he's the kind of guy who likes to buy a Porsche every day. So the money mattered, but where he made the money might matter more.

Which is why I say that though he may have meant it when he said he loves Cleveland, he really didn't love it as much as he loves the idea of the big contract. He loved it as long as the Indians offered him the most money. The money and the total deal was more important than anything. I don't know where that pressure comes from — maybe he wants to be baseball's highest paid player. Maybe he's waited for this his whole career. Maybe the Players Association put amazing pressure on him (A Players Union official once told me that doesn't happen, and a baseball exec said: "That's what they want you to think. The sky is purple and things like that.") I don't know. But the money clearly meant more to him than the fact he could stay in Cleveland, a city he said he loves.

This certainly is Sabathia's right. He can do whatever he wants as far as his contract. My only quibble is that he shouldn't try to tell us that his feelings for the Indians and Cleveland matter. Because they don't. Or more correctly they don't seem to matter (we'll find that out in free agency). If it's the money you want, that's fine. Just don't tell us it's about other things.

Back to Yellowstone …

There's something about buffalo, one of the true American animals. Hard to fathom that they almost went extinct after there were 100 million roaming our plains. They wander free at Yellowstone, and as one friend said: "They think they own the place." They pretty much do. To the point that they'll stop traffic for hours if they feel like crossing the road and standing there. I'm not going to mess with a buffalo. And my daughters and I think they may be in cahoots. At one point, two or three were standing in the road, blocking our car. Another buffalo was faced away from us on the side of the road. At one point he turned his head and stared right at our car, then turned back away from us and … well … let loose with a No. 2. Almost seemed schemed. Course my daughters laughed hysterically.

Here are some more pleasant views of buffalo roaming the Yellowstone ranges. And there were a lot. My daughters counted in excess of 1,100 in a week. Too, one advantage to visiting when we did is the buffalo babies are roaming as well. And they're actually kind of cute — unlike the rude one we encountered on the side of the road:

Well, C.C. Sabathia is Milwaukee-bound. Everyone and their uncle was reporting Sunday night that the Indians and Brewers had agreed on the trade, and it would see big-hitting outfielder Matt LaPorta come to Cleveland. The other two names are not known, but if one is Taylor Green it's a good thing. These two guys are highly regarded prospects in the Brewers organization. And we all know how Milwaukee spews out the stars. I opined on this for Monday's Beacon Journal, and I'll be at today's news conference (assuming there is one) but here's some quick thoughts:

—The Indians had no choice but to trade Sabathia. Cleveland has seen enough free agents leave for the highest dollar, with the Indians left with nothing but future draft picks in return. Those are nice, but in this case they would have been in the June 2009 draft, and who knows how long it would take the drafed players to produce. LaPorta could/should be ready next year.
—Sabathia may profess to love Cleveland and say he wanted to stay, but he was determined to test the free agent market. Letting him go that way was too high a risk.
—The guys acquired had best be able to play. A team does not trade a reigning Cy Young winner without getting legitimate talent in return. None of this "we think he can play" stuff. The Indians need the players acquired to be able to play, period. The last thing we need is another deal for Charlie Spikes.
—If Sabathia gives it the "I really loved Cleveland" line I may barf. Just be honest and say, "Hey, it was a nice place to play but this is my chance to make big-time money and I'm going to see what I can get."
—I'm sure Sabathia has already made arrangements to have his Jhonny Peralta Bobblehead shipped to Milwaukee after the Indians give them away in August. If not, it's got to be high on his list.
—Sabathia's case is unprecedented. He weighs 290 pounds, and will be 28 later this month. Pitchers enter their prime at 27. It stands to figure he should command a huge deal, but in five or six years he'll be 33 or 34 … and he won't get smaller. The team that signs him will take a risk.
—This is why the Indians offered a four-year extension. It's just too large a risk to give a pitcher those long-term deals. See Barry Zito. Sabathia is a fine pitcher, but he is also a risk.
—Good thing the Indians did not have to throw David Dellucci in the deal. There is a limit to what a team gives up after all.
—What in the world will the Indians rotation look like next season? Sabathia is gone (presumably). Jake Westbrook is out. Jeremy Sowers is struggling. Fausto Carmona is hurt. Wow.
—If Green is included in the deal, the Indians may have their third baseman of the future. That's a need that needs to be filled.
—A 2009 outfield of LaPorta, Grady Sizemore and Ben Francisco does not sound too bad. The Indians have to hope, though, that Francisco does not do a Franklin Gutierrez next season and drop off the planet.
–Has any other team lost a Cy Young winner like this? Once, when Frank Viola was traded from Minnesota to New York in 1989.
—Folks must be camping out to get ducats for that first start by Jeff Weaver.
—What a turn south this season has taken. Amazing.

Looking for information on LaPorta? Here's some of what I wrote for tomorrow's Beacon Journal:

"LaPorta clearly is the key – a bat for a lineup that needs one. He’s 23, plays at Class AA Huntsville and is hitting .288 and has 20 home runs and 66 RBI in 82 games.

"On July 3, he was named to the Baseball America midseason Minor League All-Star team. In February the publication called him the 23rd-best prospect in baseball and called his arrival date 2009. Which would be next year.

“'LaPorta may not be smooth in the outfield, but he more than makes up for it with his bat,' Baseball America wrote in its midseason assessment. 'He leads all Double-A batters in home runs, and ranks fifth in slugging, fourth in RBIs and second in extra-base hits (44).'

"SI.com ranked him 31st and wrote: 'The best college hitter in last year's draft, the Brewers are taking a risk by trying to teach him how to play left field, but all he needs to do is become adequate there, because at the plate, he's a monster.'”

And here are some links to information about him. I take no credit for finding them, though. Indians fans who participate on the forums at the scout.com Indians site found them. They get all the credit. Here are some stats, including his outstanding college stats at Florida. This is an online scouting report. And another online report.

The pros and cons will be discussed the next few days. Me, I'm going to ponder how a team can be within one game of the World Series one year, then the next cut their closer, trade their Cy Young winner and drop to last place.

Does this stuff happen in any other sports town in America? How about in the world? Does it happen to … say .. Real Madrid or Manchester United?

Before we get too depressed, let's remember nature can be beautiful. The Yellowstone sky produced some of the more amazing colors and rainbows I've seen.

Wonder if C.C. will find his personal pot of gold at the end of that rainbow?

Ken Rosenthal of Foxsports.com reports that the Milwaukee Brewers have made a serious offer for C.C. Sabathia that includes two top prospects in the team's minor leagues. The offer could include a standout left-field prospect named Matt LaPorta and shortstop prospect Alcides Escobar. Rosenthal, a longtime and well-respected baseball writer, quoted anonymous baseball types marveling that the Indians could land those two players for Sabathia — and speculates that the Indians might have to give more than Sabathia to acquire them. The story is here. My scouting reports on the pair are incomplete. Well … I've never seen them even swing on the on-deck circle. But the tenor of this story indicates two things: The Indians are listening to offers for Sabathia, so we should probably expect him to be traded, and there are teams out there willing to give up some top talent to acquire him. If these two players are involved and they are the real deal, it might be impossible for Mark Shapiro to pass up the trade.

Several folks have asked me about Brian Windhorst, our outstanding and congenial Cavs beat writer (not many folks are called congenial these days are they?). Brian is an outstanding person, and he is presently in a local hospital recuperating. He has made progress these past 10 days of treatment, but the recovery and return to health will take time. I hope you all join me in wishing him well.

I have some thoughts on the Cavs and Indians and Browns in this Sunday's Beacon Journal, as well as the final animal count conducted by my daughters at Yellowstone. Yes, they counted each one they saw, from coyotes to buffalo to elk to moose to swans. One animal hit four figures — and it was not the wild humans stepping aimlessly in elk poop. RedHawk Rick commented on the previous Yellowstone post that this trip sounded like a wonderful opportunity to spend time with my daughters, and it was. I would not trade it for anything in the world. But I kind of think going to Borders with my daughters is a pretty good time too, and there are no buffalo or bears hanging out there. Rick also asked if Yellowstone was better than Jungle Larry's Safari Island. Really now, Rick, are we not stretching things a bit there? This would be like comparing a Pixar movie to Deputy Dawg or something. Dare we insult Jungle Larry by bringing him up in the same breath as Yellowstone's majestic mountains, roaring rivers and wonderful wildlife? Please.

Learned at Yellowstone that bison babies can actually be kind of cute. Not cute like Mikey from the Life cereal commercial or Adriana Lima (he wrote, cleverly finding a way to put her picture in again), but cute in their own fuzzy way. Apparently June is the best time to see bison babies, which makes it a good time to visit the park. Too, you're not there in September, when the male elk decide they want to … well … you know … find a female. So they get kind of aggressive and go after any human wearing a backpack (Hey … the backpack line is a JOKE — but the elk do get worked up in the fall). This time of year, the elk just walk around and eat and show off their furry butts. Elk have furry butts, you know. But you probably do know because Jungle Larry taught us all that. Alas, we digress. Here are a couple baby buffalo and part of the herd we saw the first afternoon we drove into the park.

Also learned that there really is nothing like seeing a bald eagle in the wild. Well … maybe there's a couple or few things like it … but we don't need to get into that at the moment. The day we saw the eagles, this male was hunting while the young eagle hung out at the nest. At first I thought it was the female, but a wise reader posted a comment and informed me it's the baby. (Thanks for that post … kind of saved me from further embarrassment.) I had thought the female eagle sent the male to hunt while she hung around watching The View or something, proving once again that the female of the species is wiser — no doubt she buttered up this poor schmuck male by praising his strength and hunting skills and off he went, like most dopey men. While waiting for Old Faithful to erupt one day — it's interesting, but not the highlight of the trip — a woman of American Indian descent explained that in the old days the women chose the chief, and the women of the tribe decided when the Indian nation would go to war, the thinking being that they had the most to lose. Which proves once again and through generations and cultures that no matter how much influence or power we males think we have, we only have it because the females allow us to have it. Like the guy who wanted to rearrange the living room because he was tired of how it looked. His wife said: "I let him." But since this is the baby, the joke might not be all that relevant. So … never mind.

At any rate, this is the male eagle, perched proudly on the end of this tree, from far away and then close up. And then after he flew into another tree after an unsuccessful venture into the Madison River in search of a fish.

And here is the baby. Amazing how large it gets, eh?

Attended the Indians game last night, as anyone who saw today’s Beacon Journal and read about Indians and aardvarks and limbo now know. As I sat in the press box and looked at the field on a beautiful sunny day and saw a stadium barely half full and a team that just lacked some essential elements, I thought about the difference in atmosphere from the end of last season to this one. And it’s not just the won-lost record.

A year ago, there was excitement, energy and a belief that the Indians could win. This season there are slumped shoulders and a lack of excitement that is tangible. It’s bizarre. These are the same players and the same team as a year ago – minus some injured guys. But it is what it is.

GM Mark Shapiro addressed the state of the team prior to the game, and even he sounded baffled. Not by injuries. Those are part of the game, and a constant lament, it seems, of the local teams. But of the dropoff in performance by some of his players. More on what he said later.

The lack of energy and aura or whatever you want to call it is just there. And you’d hate to think it’s caused by the team not believing it can win. That would not be a good thing.

There does come a point, though, when attrition makes a team nonviable. Especially a team in a small market like this one. A team like the Yankees or Red Sox or one of those money mongers loses a guy … they can buy another part. Which they usually do. A team like Cleveland loses a guy, they have to suck it up and hope someone is in the minors. At this point, the team’s minor leagues have been pretty much depleted, so there’s little left to do but hope for a trade – and the worst thing to do is make a trade out of desperation.

When Victor Martinez left Wednesday’s game with an elbow injury in the first inning, the Indians lineup no longer looked viable. It’s good enough to win now and then, but not compete for a division title. Travis Hafner has been long gone. Martinez needs an MRI today. Nobody is hitting. The bullpen is sucking wind. And two starting pitchers are out.

It’s a fair question to ask: Does this team have enough left to win this season?

Here are some highlights from Shapiro in his interview prior to the game:

On the problems: “Probably the magnitude and depth of those things has been beyond anything we could have foreseen.”

Hopes: “We’ll fight hard and believe in what can happen this year and simultaneously prepare for next year and years beyond.”

Nature of problems: “Not just injuries and injuries to important guys, it’s been injuries combined with some disappointing performances combined with no real positive surprises.”

On Hafner: “Our hope is that the injury is something that’s contributing.”

On when he knows it’s time to think about 2009: “I can’t tell you what moment that is, I can’t tell you what number that is or what day that is. What I can tell you is when that happens we need to already know if the right value is out there to compel us to add players or to sell players.”

On possible trades: “Because of what’s happened to us, we’ve been consistently active probably since the second week of April.”

On looking back: “I don’t see anything in the offseason that could have counteracted (what’s happened).”

On the bullpen: “We can’t win with these guys performing as they have up to this point.”

On his frame of mind: “I still enter every night believing that we’re entering that point where this team is going to on a sustained run and reel off a bunch of victories and get right back in this thing. I go through other points in the day when I question how that’s going to happen when I look at some of the things that have happened to us.”

As for those who want to tar and feather Shapiro, count me out. A year ago Shapiro built a team that went to the playoffs, and almost the World Series. His philosophy worked when everyone was doing what they were supposed to do. Did some players overperform? Probably, but that’s what happens in a good year. Just like in a bad year some people underperform. Shapiro was smart last year, which means he’s not stupid this year. Things have not gone well. But in this market, this team, there’s probably not a better guy to rebuild things next year than Shapiro.

As for Tim Donaghy and NBA games and the soap opera that was LeCharles Bentley, I’ve got some thoughts on that coming in Sunday’s Beacon Journal.