WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- Jim Thome remembers sitting in the clubhouse that final day of the season, waiting. "We had to sit there and wait to see if someone else lost," Thome says. "It was very uncomfortable. Very unfamiliar, waiting for someone else to decide whether or not we played on, or went home."

Oakland won. Seattle won. Despite winning 90 games -- three more than the Yankees -- the Indians were out of the postseason for the first time since the year of The Strike.

	Kenny Lofton had a .386 OBP after the All-Star break last year, just .348 before.

"We'd all grown so used to the expectation of playing in the postseason and after we realized early on that the White Sox were real," says Thome, "we kicked it in (and had the best record in the league the second half). But things caught up to us.

"But you know what? That might have been the best thing to happen to this franchise. Up and down this team, down onto the minor-league fields, there's a new sense of purpose with the Cleveland Indians. I honestly believe everyone learned a lesson."

While the Indians lost Manny Ramirez to Boston's dollars in the offseason, now that they are lined up in the shadow of the Orange Dome of Winter Haven, they look like a far better team than the 2000 Indians. Ellis Burks, who batted .344 and knocked in 96 runs in 122 games with the Giants, brings presence to the lineup and locker room. "He's one of the only two players I've been around -- Matt Williams was the other -- that when he walks in the door into the clubhouse, everyone says, 'It's time to play,'" says Thome. Burks will add production to the six-hole and an opportunity to play more because he can rest his knees as a DH. Juan Gonzalez, in astounding condition after a winter's work with trainer Nao Presinol, looks like the monster who won two MVPs.

"The big thing is that most everyone is healthy," says Kenny Lofton, who played with a sore shoulder at the start of last season and didn't get healthy until August. "The top three in this order is the key to this offense," says Lofton. "If we get on, I could hit in the four-hole and knock in runs. Manny is a great hitter, but so is Juan Gonzalez, and Juan now has us in front of him and Thome and Burks behind him."

	Projected lineup
	Order CF Kenny Lofton SS Omar Vizquel 2B Roberto Alomar RF Juan Gonzalez 1B Jim Thome LF Ellis Burks 3B Travis Fryman DH Russ Branyan / Wil Cordero C Einar Diaz / Eddie Taubensee Rotation Bartolo Colon Chuck Finley Dave Burba Steve Karsay / Charles Nagy Steve Woodard / Jaret Wright

"Actually, Kenny is the key," says Robby Alomar. "If he gets on and is running the way he has been this spring, Omar (Vizquel) and I get fastballs, then we're on for the big boys." How big? Travis Fryman hits seventh, Russell Branyan eighth -- and these people believe Branyan can hit 40 homers.

"There's a great atmosphere here, and I am really happy," says Gonzalez. Essentially, Gonzalez turned down $148 million from the Tigers because he didn't feel comfortable. "What good is the money if you're not happy?" asks Gonzalez. "I'll make enough to be happy. Cleveland is a place I wanted to play."

Some of his Latin teammates felt the Tigers were too much of a white American team, and that Gonzalez was happy with the Rangers, who had several Latino players. Ditto Cleveland. "The Indians' organization is one that Latins want to play for," says Gonzalez. "They have a very good reputation. This is a very good atmosphere. They do a lot of things behind the scenes to help players."

There is, to be honest, a motivational factors known as The Contract Year at play here, as well. Lofton, Alomar and Gonzalez are all free agents at the end of the season. There's also a lot of depth, from the catching platoon of Einar Diaz and Eddie Taubensee to glove magician John McDonald at shortstop to outfielders Wilfredo Cordero and Jacob Cruz. "There's little question," says one AL scout, "that when you take that lineup and that brilliant infield defense, the Indians are the best positional-player team in the American League. They won 90 games with everyone hurt."

"I think this is the best lineup and team in the field we've had since we started our run," says manager Charlie Manuel.

The injuries crippled the pitching. They used 32 pitchers. "Lightning can't strike twice," says Alomar. Bartolo Colon, one of the league's elite starters, is throwing the ball very well. Chuck Finley and Dave Burba are solid and reliable. Then come the last two spots.

Jaret Wright and Charles Nagy are coming off surgery. Wright's last two outings have been encouraging, especially the way he's been loose and rediscovered the curveball of his youth. Nagy had one good outing, one bad, and doesn't yet know what's left. Steve Woodard and Steve Karsay are in the mix.

If Karsay starts, then Manuel may need a seventh-inning reliever. He has Bob Wickman and Paul Shuey for the last two innings, lefty Ricardo Rincon for situations. They, like several teams, looked at a Florida showcase of Dan Miceli on Friday, but he may not be the answer.

What may be the answer, in time, is their young pitching. "This is the best group of arms we've had since I've been here," says John Hart. Left-handed monster C.C. Sabathia is coming so fast that not only does the front office call him "special," but now there is some thought he could make the majors by August. Tim Drew is hitting 92 mph, has great presence and mound sense, and could step in. So could sinkerballer Jake Westbrook, and his fellow ex-Yankee from the David Justice deal, Zach Day.

As for the bullpen, some feel that 6-foot-6 right-hander Roy Smith may be ready right away. What a story. He's a baseball rat out of St. Petersburg who was released by the Mariners, pitched two years for St. Paul in the Northern League, then decided to drop down low sidearm. All of a sudden his velocity jumped 3-5 miles per hour, and he is filthy. Oh, yes: Danys Baez is hitting 97 this spring.

If Gonzalez and Burks stay healthy, they keep their pitching in line and can make the one or two necessary trades, this has a chance to be a special team. "We can really be very good," says Alomar. "If we do what we should do, we will be."

Braves going after Urbina?