As I got in the elevator on Sunday afternoon to make my way up to the press box, a fan hopped on at the last second wearing a cool, unique black t-shirt. Written in red and white cursive font, the shirt featured a blown-up lineup card from some of the “days gone by,” with names like Lofton, Vizquel, Baerga, Belle and Thome written on it.
“Best team in baseball history to never win the World Series,” he smiled and said to me.
You won’t get an argument from me. And as we close a chapter in Cleveland baseball history this weekend, I couldn’t help but find myself lost in the nostalgia of some incredible memories.
This franchise has been known as the Indians for more than 100 years. While some seasoned fans that still bring transistor radios and headphones to listen to Tom Hamilton’s play-by-play may vividly recall games at Municipal Stadium, there’s a large contingent of us that have never known anything other than Indians baseball at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario.
There are reminders of this franchise’s history everywhere around Progressive Field. Memories worth celebrating, ones that won’t fade – no matter how far in the past they seem.
I love that baseball is timeless. So many of us remember exactly where we sat for the 1997 and 2019 All-Star Games, tense playoff moments, the American League record 22nd consecutive win in 2017. We remember who we were there with and what we ate as we watched the Tribe come back from a 12-run deficit to beat Seattle on August 5, 2001. There are too many freezing April nights and steamy August afternoons to count.
If you walk around the ballpark and listen with your heart, you’ll always hear those memories. It just takes a little imagination, but those depictions are still very real.
Those that wanted something a little more concrete on Sunday flocked to the Team Shop. The line to get in wrapped all the way around the concourse, with scarcely little merchandise left to sell.
As I walked around the park on a 71 degree, sunny September afternoon, I watched ushers hug season-ticket holders and wish them a happy off-season. I saw a little boy run to his dad with a new jersey in hand after a stranger gave him the gift of a lifetime. There was a dad teaching his son how to score the game on his scorecard, seated next to a man who was probably the grandfather and dad to each of them. The Corner was packed with fans that were enjoying their district tickets. A handful of fans roamed through Heritage Park and reminisced about some of their favorite players from seasons’ past, while some others posed for pictures next to Jim Thome’s statue.
Those things will never change, regardless of the name of our beloved team.
Sunday’s 5-2 loss to the AL Central champion Chicago White Sox was disappointing, but the game felt less important than the atmosphere. The crowd of 21,957 was engaged, loud and vibrant. Even on a day where the Browns played the Chicago Bears just up the street, Cleveland’s baseball team had great support. Even with two outs in the ninth inning, Myles Straw’s sharp single to right field was greeted emphatically. This town has seen too many magical ninth inning comebacks to lose faith.
Times are changing. As a country, as a human family and as baseball fans, we’ve been through so much these last two years in particular. That evidence is all around us, too. Some fans still choose to wear masks around the ballpark. Umpires check pitchers after each inning to make sure they aren’t doctoring the baseball. We’ve certainly missed John Adams, the heartbeat of the Tribe, rhythmically banging his drum in the left field bleachers. Terry Francona’s absence in the third base dugout made for a unique challenge too. It’s certainly disappointing that the Indians will not have an October to remember in 2021.
But in our own time, we need to embrace what’s ahead of us with open arms. The most important thing in all of this is that our team is here to stay. And there are plenty of signs for a promising future as we prepare to welcome the Cleveland Guardians. This team has shown glimpses of a very good young core and I certainly think with some better health they could be a playoff team next season. Upgrades are also coming to one of Major League Baseball’s best venues.
The end of the season is always hard, but the end of an era hits a little deeper. While some fans are doing a better job than others of embracing the team’s new identity, I believe that our community’s resiliency will ultimately prevail and that Progressive Field will continue to be a place that families love to gather for generations to come.
Goodbye Indians. Thank you for weaving the fabric of this game into our hearts. We will always be grateful and we can’t wait to greet the Guardians with the same enthusiasm next spring.