Boonie

Let's get the negative stuff out of the way first.
Aaron Boone is still batting at a trained-ape-could-do-it-just-as-well .191 clip after Wednesday night's game against Colorado. He struck out after Jhonny Peralta homered to tie the game in the ninth inning.
He still gets the same chorus of boos after making outs at Jacobs Field. There are still plenty of fans who would rather see Casey Blake at third base and Boone somewhere between the bench and Buffalo.
But last night, in the 11th inning, after all the boos and eye-rolling subsided, Boone was whisked back to a chilly October night in the Bronx two years ago, when he became this generation's Bucky Dent. Boone (that Aaron-freaking-Boone Red Sox fans cursed until revenge was secured last October) banged his first walk-off home run since he put the Yankees in the 2003 World Series.
Logically, home runs in June would always pale in comparison to home runs like the one Boone hit two years ago. But for Boone, it might have nearly as much meaning. For one at-bat, he was able to place himself in the good graces of his new fans. He was able to be more than dead weight being lugged around by what is still the worst offensive team in the American League.
He was able to cap off one of the best rallies of Cleveland's season, from a 6-2 defecit in the fifth inning. He was able to rescue the momentum of Cleveland's four-game winning streak, which was burning out by the time the game was halted for about an hour by a rain delay.
In retrospect, Boone's homer might turn out to be a very important moment if the Indians are challenging for the wild-card spot a month from now. Remember, the last time the Indians went on a four-game winning streak, like they were riding heading into Wednesday, they gave it all back with a four-game losing streak.
Instead of gagging against unquestionably the worst road team in the majors, the Indians beat the Rockies Wednesday. Boone was mobbed by his teammates at home plate, and he gave Indians fans memories of the late-inning thrills of the '90s.
Any time you can conjure up memories of Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez or Sandy Alomar, you earn brownie points with Tribe fans.
Next stop, Boonie, is the Mendoza line.