Nothing has been confirmed, no bodies found, but two more missing persons - Anthony Reyes and Aaron Laffey. No one's laughing now. In part 2 of my ongoing investigation (part 1 - John Adams) I look at the Indians seemingly fun-loving mascot, Slider.
Suspect: Slider (above, right - is that a dance, or a sneak attack?)
Suspicious Traits: Tendency to not wear pants, large size, primary job occupation is a dancer despite obvious lack of dancing ability
Weapon of Choice: The "Slider hug"
Potential Alibi: Slider doesn't exactly blend into a crowd and countless eyewitnesses suggest he spends most of each game not even watching the action on the field.
Motive: If it was Slider, it appears to be a case of "Sideshow Bob Syndrome" - jealousy. Who were the Indians coming into this season with the best sliders? Rafael Perez - gone. Aaron Laffey - gone. Tony Sipp - gone. Fausto Carmona is still around, but since 2007 he's been clearly looking over his shoulder and using less and less of his once effective slider. Is this just a coincidence - or has the real Slider decided to take out his competition one at a time. Further evidence, when was the last time you saw Grady Sizemore hit a slider?...
Likelihood: Low. Annoyance - high.
Up Next: Grit