Written by Paul Cousineau

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It's official. The Indians are on fire. And in Paul Cousineau's latest, he makes the observation that this team has great chemistry right now and everyone has each other's backs ... evidenced by the altercation at home plate last night between Josh Barfield and Jason Phillips. And maybe, just maybe ... some of the high character veterans we added this season is having an impact on that.

While chemistry and camaraderie are certainly not measurable quantities and we're still only about 25 games into the season; but this team is, as Lou Brown would say, “starting to come together, Pepper…starting to come together.” 

Realizing that post-game whipped cream pies in the face mean about as much as me wearing my lucky shirt to the game, it shows that this team is loose and playing to win and not tense and playing not to lose.  Perhaps Dellucci, Nixon, and Hernandez do lend more to this team than 2 LH bats and a few rotten innings of relief work.   

We all pointed to Alvaro Espinoza putting bubble gum on the top of people's hats as the great example that the Indians of the mid-90's were always loose and in on every game.  The Indians stand at 17-8 without playing their best and coming back to win games they have no right winning.  Maybe whipped cream pies are today's bubble gum hats. 

The greatest example of this team pulling together and acting as one unit came out tonight as Josh Barfield came around from 1B and tried to score on a Sizemore liner that Alex Rios dropped in CF. As Barfield headed toward home, Blue Jays' catcher Jason Phillips (and his 2007 version of Chris Sabo Rec-Specs) blocked his path and successfully tagged Barfield out.  Phillips got up and taunted Barfield, pumping his fist and screaming at a now-called-out Barfield.   

Barfield had some brief words for Phillips, but then in comes Dellucci, from the on-deck circle, to confront this guy that looks like that kid from the “Christmas Story” in the line for Santa Claus.  It's not clear if Dellucci asked him if he liked the “Wizard of Oz” or maybe the Tin Man, but harsh words were spoken and it was on.  The benches cleared but (like any baseball fight not involving Dennis Cook or Nolan Ryan) it amounted to nothing. 

But, other than Dellucci completely endearing himself to thousands of Tribe fans by sticking up for Jesse's Boy, the moment represented something much larger.  This team is in this thing together and they're rolling.  Whether “veteran leadership” or a sense of solidarity plays a major role in that can never be known as it's not something that is exactly quantifiable.  

Whether this continues all season long and the team is able to cobble together one of those magical seasons that we all desperately need remains to be seen.   

Whether the additions of the veterans on this club have anything to do with it will remain a point of conjecture all season. 

What is known, and measurable, is that the Indians stand at 17-8, two full games up in the AL Central and sitting on the best record in MLB.   

For now, let's sit back and enjoy the ride.