INDIANS Burks pleads for fan patience

He's not depressed by the team's slow start.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- The season's second month has already produced one highlight for the Cleveland Indians.
They got rained out.
That's an improvement on what has been happening lately to the Indians, who have lost eight straight games and are off to their worst start since 1969.
"It hasn't been fun," designated hitter Ellis Burks said. "No one likes to lose."
The finale of Cleveland's three-game series with the Anaheim Angels was postponed Thursday night. Officials at Jacobs Field waited more than an hour after the scheduled 7:05 p.m. start before calling it when a storm system settled over Cleveland.
The game was not immediately rescheduled. The Angels, who won the first two games in the series and have six straight victories at the Jake, will be in Cleveland Aug. 8-10.
Rotation the same
Indians manager Eric Wedge said he'll move his rotation back one day with rookie Jason Davis (2-3) starting tonight's series opener against Texas' Joaquin Benoit (0-0).
Wedge hoped a night away from the ballpark will benefit his young club, which has dropped 12 of 14.
"It's a new month," he said. "We went through a lot and we learned from it. Now it's time to take the next step."
Hopefully, it won't be backward.
Burks has been a calming influence so far in the Indians' clubhouse. He's seen a lot in 16 major league seasons, which is why he's not discouraged by the awful start.
At least not as concerned as others.
"I'm not down. I'm not depressed," Burks said. "I hope no one else in this room is either."
Despite the recent string of losses, Burks said he's seen enough positive signs to think better days are ahead for a team loaded with young but unproven talent.
A lot of rookies
Burks points to the extraordinary number of rookies who are either starting or playing important roles with the Indians.
"Let's see," he said, ticking off the current face of Cleveland's roster. "Rookie catcher. Rookie at first, at second. One or two in the outfield. A couple in the starting rotation.
"You got like seven guys in their first or second year. This is the youngest team I've ever been on. You've got to give these guys a chance to learn. You can't make any real judgments after 25 games."
Amazingly, Burks thought the Indians would be worse than they are.
He came to spring training with low expectations, but had his mind changed after seeing some of Cleveland's young players progress during camp.
Same deal
Burks, who is signed through this season with a club option for 2004, was part of a rebuilding project with the Boston Red Sox in the late 1980s. He remembers some of the painful times that team went through.
"But we weren't as young as this team," he said. "These guys are learning on the fly."
So, said Burks, is Wedge -- another rookie.
Burks had high praise for the way the first-year manager has handled a turbulent first month on the job.
"With what he's had to work with, he's done fine," Burks said. "He's being patient and that's what he has to do. You can't start going off on anybody. These kids are learning and you can't put things together in 20 games."