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The headline on the story in the Tribune Chronicle last year reads, "Will Indians put it together in 2016?
Boy, did they.
Cleveland Indians fans reveled in the 2016 season, from the 14-game winning streak in late June, to the arrival of ace reliever Andrew Miller, to the postseason run which ended up just one win from a World Series title.
And this coming on the heels of the Cavaliers' NBA title during the middle of the baseball season.
What do the Indians have for an encore this season? The starting rotation is as solid as it gets in the game these days, though consistency is a word I use a lot -- usually preceded by the words lack of -- when watching Danny Salazar, Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer pitch.
You pretty much know what you are going to get when Corey Kluber and Josh Tomlin take the mound, but the other three can pitch deep into the game, handing a lead over to the bullpen, or they can get knocked out early.
With the stuff that those three have, it is frustrating at times watching them get knocked around, or worse, watching them walk batters.
But compared to many other seasons of following the Tribe, this rotation is outstanding. It also might be the best in the American League, at least, if not all of baseball.
The Indians have some depth at Class AAA in case of injury, but hopefully those guys won't be needed.
The bullpen, headlined by Miller and the often overlooked Cody Allen, also is solid. Though skeptics might wonder when the arms of Allen and setup man Bryan Shaw are going to fall off, they've pitched so much in recent seasons.
Manager Terry Francona has a solid record of handling pitching staffs well, so unless the Indians have a slew of injuries, expect the pitching to be a strong point again.
Offensively, Cleveland should see continued improvement from young stars in the making Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez. Jason Kipnis and Carlos Santana provide steady bats, and Michael Brantley, back from injury, is a real wild-card. If he gets back to his previous form, it will provide a huge boost to the lineup.
That doesn't even cover the Indians' biggest move, the acquisition of Edwin Encarnacion, in effect replacing Mike Napoli. The Tribe -- and Tribe fans -- will miss some things about Napoli's game, but Encarnacion is by far a better, more consistent power and RBI threat.
It's scary to think about, considering the history of the Indians, but we may be back in a period like the 1990s when the team was a threat to win it all year in and year out.