Fresh faces tells story of Indians season

Lets put fresh, young faces on the Indians playoff run of 2007. A week ago Sunday at Jacobs Field, Tribe players celebrated their clinching of the AL Central Division title in their champagne-soaked clubhouse. Those fresh faces, framed with wide-eyed smiles, belonged to C.C. Sabathia, Victor Martinez, Grady Sizemore, Fausto Carmona, Rafael Perez, Ryan Garko, Casey Blake, Travis Hafner, Jhonny Peralta, Josh Barfield, Franklin Gutierrez, Jake Westbrook, Ben Francisco, Aaron Laffey, Asdrubal Cabrera, Cliff Lee, Jeremy Sowers, Tom Mastny, Jensen Lewis and Kelly Shoppach. True enough that Sabathia was a major contributor to the 2001 team that advanced to the playoffs, but six years probably seems like ages ago to a guy who is all of 27. As for those other players, this is their first exposure to the unrestrained joys and unrelenting pressure of October baseball. At yesterdays playoff pep rally in Gateway Plaza, I saw two more fresh, young faces that tell the story of this special baseball season. Heidi Kosileski of Garfield Heights and Kelly Parker of Bedford, both 16 years old and sophomores at St. Peter Chanel High School, are Tribe fans through-and-through. Each wore a Ryan Garko uniform top. Their smiles spoke volumes. Were the original Garko Girls, they said in unison. The same as Garko and the other young players in the Tribe clubhouse, Heidi and Kelly are new to all this playoff excitement. They arent carrying any emotional baggage from past playoff heartbreaks. When closer Jose Mesa melted down in the bottom of the ninth inning in the 1997 World Series, they were six years old. Heidi and Kelly are living in the moment and loving it. We should all follow their lead.