Cliff Lee?? Cliff Lee? Cliff Lee!!!!!!

Cliff Lee has been filthy this season

Just in case you haven't noticed, and judging by the attendance you haven't, the Indians have managed to win a few games and are threatening to climb away from the rest of the AL Central. The Wigwammers have managed to win 3 straight ballgames and 8 out of 10. The starting pitching has been phenomenal and has carried the Indians' scoring challenged offense. The rotation gave up their first run in 44 1/3 innings today when Aaron Laffey (who turned in another strong effort) gave up an unearned run in the 2nd inning of the Tribe's 4-2 victory over Oakland. The catalyst for this pitching onslaught? Mr. Cliff Lee.

Through 7 starts, Cliff Lee is 6-0 with 53 2/3 innings pitched, 44 Ks, 4 walks, and a 0.67 ERA. He's given up 4 earned runs all season. His stats are so good right now, they sound made up. He is absolutely dominating the American League. So where the heck is this coming from? Who is this guy that's tossing out Koufax-like numbers?

Here's what I know about Cliff Lee from his 7 years with the Tribe. Lee is a 6'-3" southpaw from Arkansas. He comes off as an "aw shucks" sort of guy in interviews and has a heavy Southern accent. He carries a pretty good 60-36 record in his major league career. He was part of the Bartolo Colon trade that also brought Brandon Phillips and Grady Sizemore to the Tribe. Ya think the Nats could manage to find room for Phillips, Sizemore, and Lee on their roster today?

Lee was slightly heralded when he pitched his first full year with the Indians in 2004. He had pitched pretty well in his first couple of cups of coffee in the bigs in 2002 and 2003. In 2004, Lee managed a 14-8 record, but had a bloated 5.43 ERA. Tribe fans were able to chalk 2004 up to growing pains when he rebounded the next season and went 18-5 with a solid 3.79 ERA. In 2006, he slipped, and it looked like he was destined for the dreaded "innings eater," 4th starter's role when he went 14-11 with a mediocre 4.40 ERA, but pitched 200 innings for the 2nd straight year.

Then came last year. Lee struggled with everything. He was hurt a lot and only started 16 games. When he did pitch, it was a train wreck. He went 5-8 with an astronomical 6.29 ERA. He also managed to piss off a lot of people last year when he beaned Sammy Sosa in the noggin (I liked it personally) on the day the Rangers were celebrating Sammy's 600th home run. Reportedly, that incident turned the Indians clubhouse against him. Eventually, Lee was sent down to the minors. Rough year.

This spring the former 18 game winner had to fight for a spot in the Indians rotation against promising young guys, Laffey and Jeremy Sowers. Lee won the job and has been lights out all season.

His fastball hits between 91-93 on the radar gun, and he's had Maddux-esqe command over it this year. He mixes in a good curveball and a change-up. He does what every baseball color man demands out of a pitcher, he throws a lot of strikes. He is off to the most dominating start by any pitcher that I can remember. Who knew?

MLB 1st Month Stat Leaders, Blink Twice If You've Heard Of Edinson Volquez

Did you know I lead the NL in ERA?

Between the NBA playoffs, NHL playoffs, Olympic hotties, and the NFL draft, I haven't kept my eye on baseball stats at all. I was not prepared for the surprises that awaited me when I checked out the AL and NL stats leaders. Yes, I know it is only one month into the season and we shouldn't overreact, but look at some of the names atop the MLB leaderboard. Who are those guys?

Hey, the Rangers Josh Hamilton and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim's (LAAsOA?) Casey Kotchman are 3 and 4 in AL batting average! Hamilton, who's hitting .333, is the uber-talented centerfielder who was featured on Sportscenter (or Baseball Tonight? or Outside the Lines?) last year because he overcame a big drug problem. Kotchman has only played in more than 50 games a year once in his career, and is hitting .259 in April for his career including this year's .326.

Don't White Sox fans hate Joe Crede? Wasn't he on the trading block for awhile? After one month, he's tied with teammate Carlos Quentin for the AL lead in home runs. Who? Exactly, I vaguely remember that Quentin was a hot prospect with the Diamondbacks. He's already two home runs away from tying his single season best. How soon is too soon for Berman to do some "San Quentin" jokes?

The venerable Emil Brown, who escaped to Oakland from Kansas City (that doesn't sound like much of an escape), is second in the AL in RBIs with 25 to Hamilton's 32. Joe Crede lurks 3 back tied with Justin Morneau. In the NL Xavier Nady sits atop the RBI leaderboard with 26. Yes, Cecilio's Scribe and your Mets fan brethren, that Xavier Nady. The D-backs Conor Jackson and the Bucos Nate McLouth are tied for fourth. Not exactly household names.

The pitching stat leaders are even more surprising than the hitters. Do you know the Angels Joe Saunders? Me neither but his 5 wins are good enough for a first place tie in the AL, one win ahead of Tampa Bay's Andy Sonnanstein, another gentleman I've never heard of. And speaking of guys I've never heard of, the Giants Brian Wilson (resisting bad Beach Boys joke....resistance is futile) is tied for the NL lead in saves with 9, and Oakland's Dana Eveland is fifth in the AL with a 2.43 ERA.

In case you were wondering, the Indians Cliff Lee is leading the majors with a 0.96 ERA. Lee's 2007 numbers? He was 5-8 with a 6.29 ERA. Edinson Volquez leads the NL with a 1.23 ERA. On the chance that you didn't know, Volquez toils for the Cincinnati Reds.

If even 3 of these guys are still in the Top 5 in their respective categories come June 1st, I'll be shocked. If any of them are there on July 1st I'll be suspicious. By August I'll start demanding an investigation.