Sluggers Joe Carter and Cory Snyder were featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated on April 6, 1987, with the headline "Indian Uprising".
The Indians were being predicted as the best team in baseball on the back of their two 30+ home run hitters.
What sports writers overlooked was that Cleveland had the worst performing pitching staff in the majors, despite the presence of 300 game winners Phil Niekro and Steve Carlton, as well as Tom Candiotti (with Niekro and Candiotti, Cleveland had two starters whose main pitch was the knuckleball).
The Indians had veteran pitchers Steve Carlton and Phil Niekro on their roster to add experience.
Niekro would be picked up by the Toronto Blue Jays and come within two games of winning the American League East Championship.