DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN : INDIANS ARE GOING TO GET IT RIGHT THIS TIME.

It took the Cleveland Indians 41 long years to finally get back to the World Series. This time it may take only six months.

In 1995, the once-laughable Indians won 100 games in a 144-game season and did it with flair. Cleveland won 27 games in its final at-bat, including 10 with game-ending home runs. The Tribe was the first team since the 1971 Baltimore Orioles to lead the league in both pitching and hitting, and they overwhelmed Boston and Seattle in the playoffs.

So what happened in the Series?

Against Atlanta's magnificent pitching staff, Albert Belle & Co. were overanxious, confused and frustrated. Lessons learned: talent can only take you so far, and you can never have enough pitching.

The Indians added another quality arm during the offseason, signing former Cy Young winner Jack McDowell. Their lineup got some added muscle as well, adding first baseman Julio Franco, one of baseball's toughest outs before going to Japan for a year.

You can't buy a ticket to Jacobs Field, which is already sold out by fans soaking up wins after so many dreary seasons on the shores of Lake Erie. Outside northern Ohio, however, Indians haters are growing in numbers as the club swaggers its way around the bases.

Hey, it's worked for the Dallas Cowboys.

SOURCE: Associated Press

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Photo: There still isn't a collective bargaining agreementbetween the players and owners, but the enthusiasm is back along with a 162-game season. San Diego's Tony Gwynn, ever the ambassador, has spent this spring helping the fans continue their recovery from the strike.

Associated Press