The Cleveland Indians were 96-66 in 2007 and won the American League Central by eight games over Detroit.

The Indians bounced the Yankees in four games in a division series and took a 3-1 lead over Boston in the ALCS. The Red Sox won the last three to advance to the World Series and a four-game sweep of Colorado.

This was a season when Cliff Lee's ineffectiveness caused him to be demoted to the minor leagues. It mattered not as C.C. Sabathia went 19-7, Fausto Carmona 19-8 and Paul Byrd 15-8 to lead the rotation. And journeyman Joe Borowski registered 45 saves.

Sabathia, Carmona and Byrd were back to open 2008, and so was Lee, for a season in which he would go 22-3 and win the Cy Young Award. The primary weapons were again in the lineup: Victor Martinez, Travis Hafner, Grady Sizemore, Jhonny Peralta, Casey Blake and Ryan Garko -- six hitters that had combined for 133 home runs and 503 RBI.

The Indians were such strong favorites for a playoff return that there was a thought the front office would retain Sabathia for one more October run, and then allow the large lefty to leave as a free agent.

Martinez was injured. Hafner was both injured and inept. Carmona came unglued. Sabathia was 6-8 when traded to Milwaukee in July, and Byrd 7-10 when traded to Boston in August. Borowski was dropped early with a 7.56 ERA in 18 outings.

Associated Press
Lefthander CC Sabathia, then with Cleveland in 2008.

The Indians went 81-81, finished third behind the Twins and the White Sox, and went full bore into their current cost-cutting/rebuilding.

This recent twist of fate for Cleveland is a vivid example that the optimism of March can disappear easily in a concoction of injury, poor performance and poor player evaluation. It's the uncertainty that puts the "grand" in the grand old game.

What disturbs fans, though, is when the uncertainty goes against the home team, as has been the case with the Twins in these early weeks of summer.

In March, the Twins remained the popular choice to repeat in the AL Central, even after the loss of closer Joe Nathan to elbow surgery. This optimism came with:

• The Twins were going to have their best combination of fielding and hitting in the middle infield in several seasons, with Orlando Hudson at second base and J.J. Hardy at shortstop. Hudson has struggled since returning from a wrist injury in early June. Hardy hasn't hit before or since a wrist injury that cost him a month.

• The Twins would have four capable starters in Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn, Kevin Slowey and Carl Pavano -- and likely a fifth with a reinvigorated Francisco Liriano. They also had lefthander Brian Duensing to take over if a starter faltered.

Baker, Blackburn and Slowey faltered. Liriano has turned erratic. Only Pavano can be described as "reliable." And yet, with Duensing now the bullpen's best lefty, the Twins have sent out the same five for 87 of 88 starts.

In Detroit, the Tigers applied standards to their starters, optioning first Max Scherzer and then Rick Porcello to straighten up and throw right. Meantime in Minnesota, it has remained impossible for a starter to lose his job.

• The Twins would make the plays in the field and follow manager Ron Gardenhire's credo to "play the game the right way." Turns out, the Twins have been a team with two exceptional defenders: Nick Punto and Justin Morneau. And, Punto has lost playing time with the use of Michael Cuddyer at third, and Morneau has missed time after a concussion.

Cuddyer-to-third was an act of desperation that you couldn't have expected to see from a manager with Gardy's fielding-first credentials. It has reduced the infield playmaking, and transformed a mediocre outfield defense into an abomination.

• It was improbable Joe Mauer could repeat the MVP numbers from 2009, but he surely would reach the break at his career average of .327, and on his way to 15-20 home runs and 85-90 RBI. He's 34 points below the average, and far below the pace with power, and if Mauer remains a two-star player and not a four-star over the final 45 percent of the schedule, then all those assumptions that the 2010 Twins would be an outstanding club are kaput ... gone the way of 2008 Cleveland Indians.

Patrick Reusse can be heard noon-4 weekdays on AM-1500 KSTP. • preusse@startribune.com