Today is a sad day. Today my beloved Cleveland Indians played their final baseball game. “It’s hard not to be romantic about baseball.” That quote by Billy Beane has stuck with me through the years, because it couldn’t be more true.
To know I’ll never get to see the Indians win a World Series is probably the hardest part about all of this. People always say “maybe this is our year” or “there’s always next year” … except there is no more years. Time has run out for the Cleveland Indians.
I’ve loved baseball for my entire life. Literally - as far back as I can remember - I’ve always loved baseball. Growing up 90 minutes down the road from Cleveland, both of my parents grew up as Indians fans. From listening to games on the radio with my Nana Irene to watching games on the weekend with my dad - I’ve always loved it. Heck, I even have the Indians “I” logo tattooed on my ankle in memory of my Nana Irene. They will forever be with me.
I know many people argue that baseball is boring but I don’t know how to explain it - it’s always held a special place in my heart. The atmosphere is just … one of a kind. Seeing all 30 Major Leaque Baseball Ballparks has been on my bucket list for a very long time. To date, I’ve been to 5 and hope to change that next season.
In my lifetime, I’ve been to 34 Cleveland Indians games. Starting way up in the nosebleeds of Jacob’s Field on July 6, 1995. They played the Seattle Mariners and won 8-1. I’ve seen 15 different teams play in Cleveland over the years. I have a pretty great Indians’ game record too: 24-9-1. That last one was an unfortunate rain out in the second inning (more on that later). With the exception of 2020, I’ve been to at least one Indians game a year since 2011. I’ve planned more trips home around when the Indians are home than I can count. Whether its flying in early to catch a game before heading to Erie, or catching a Sunday afternoon game before heading back to the airport, baseball has always been a priority.
Being so close to Cleveland and a part of their television market, each January, the Indians Caravan would roll into town. It was a promotional tour of sorts with a few different players and coaches. They would have an auction, answer fan questions, and at the end do a meet and greet to sign autographs. My dad and I met several of the greats over the years at the Caravans, including C.C. Sabathia and Victor Martinez. What a unique experience to have at such a young age! The Caravans stopped a long time ago, but it will always be such a special memory!
I remember the game my Dad and I went to in 2003. We didn’t pay attention to any of the promos that day, but when we walked in the left field gates, we were handed a disposable camera and ushered down the back walkways. We kept walking down and down and down and the next thing we knew - we were out on the warning track of the field. It was Camera Day. Back then, they would hand out a couple thousand cameras and line you up, then all of the players and coaches would walk around for photos. Some were nicer than others, and even stopped to take individual photos along the way. I mean, how cool is that?! To have that type of experience - WOW! In 2004 when we were picking out our game, we looked at the promo schedule and found Camera Day again and we were much more prepared that year. We got there earlier, brought our own digital camera and knew what to expect. As an added bonus in 2004 for the 10th Anniversary of Jacob’s Field, along with the disposable camera, they also gave out a custom photo album! I still have it on display in my living room.
Funny story about that one game that was rained out. It was August 2011. On Friday the 12th, my dad texted me saying he was given 2 free tickets to Sunday’s game and asked if I wanted to go. Which was a joke considering I live 8 hours away in Nashville. But I looked at my schedule (I worked at Target at the time) and I had the weekend off … I didn’t have to be in until 2:30 on Monday so I figured why not?! I drove the 8 hours to Cleveland Saturday morning and met up with my dad. We were talking to the front desk clerk at the hotel and asked about the light rail station across the street. They told us it took you to Tower City, just a few blocks from Progressive Field. We thought, why not. We didn’t have anything else to do that night, so we took the train into town and bought cheap seats. They ended up winning that night. The game on Sunday, which we had free tickets to, ended up getting rained before it became an official game. I woke up at the crack of dawn on Monday and drove the 8 hours back to Nashville (thank goodness I gained an hour going back!) and made it time for my shift at Target.
In 2015, my dad and I started the tradition of going to Memorial Day Weekend games. I don’t know how the schedule lined up so perfectly for 5 years but it did. I would fly out of Nashville on Saturday morning, take the light rail from the Cleveland airport to our hotel, and then we would hop back on and head downtown for the Saturday afternoon or evening game. Then we would do it one more time on Sunday. Monday morning, we would grab breakfast before my dad took me back to the Cleveland airport to fly back home to Nashville. It was a fun little tradition while it lasted. Even before COVID limited the 2020 season, they were scheduled to play away games on Memorial Day weekend that year. And this year, they were also away.
On June 29, 2016, I attended my first Cleveland Indians away game in Atlanta with my friend Courtney. What a night it was. The Indians won, securing their 12th of eventual 14 wins in a row - which was a franchise record at the time. Who can forget what a magical season 2016 was. When the Tribe was up 3-1 in the World Series, I actually thought there might be a chance. While now it is even more devastating to never have that coveted World Series, in my mind, I can justify a little bit knowing it went to the Cubs, who won after 107 seasons. The Cleveland Indians will forever sit at 73 years without a World Series - with an asterisk next to their name. Now the only thing I can hold onto in my lifetime is the 22 game winning streak of 2017.
Sunday, May 27, 2018. Wow. Arguably one of the best games in Cleveland Indians history. By far my favorite game of all time. It was the top of the 9th inning. We had club level seats. (Which we discovered a year or two prior - it was all you could eat included with the price of your ticket. Our little secret had been discovered though, and it soon became much more expensive to enjoy up there!). The Tribe was down 8-3. We decided to walk down towards the left field exit to beat the rush at the end of the game. The crowd had already started to thin out, so we grabbed some seats down the 3rd base line. José Ramirez was the first one at bat. He saw 16 pitches before getting a double on his 17th pitch. It was one of the wildest at bats I’ve ever seen. He fouled off pitch after pitch after pitch. It was comical. Everyone knew it. But … it was the magic the team needed to turn things around. The Indians scored 5 runs in the bottom of the 9th to tie it. José actually made it back to the plate before logging the final out of the inning. But it didn’t matter. They were going to the 10th! We settled into our new seats, not knowing what we were in for! The 10th, 11th and 12th went by without any major action. Houston had a solo Home Run in the top of the 13th and we thought well this is it. It was fun while it lasted. Wrong. The Indians said not so fast with their first player hitting a matching solo shot in the bottom of the 13th and we were tied again at 9! The top of the 14th was uneventful. And then for the first time ever, I experienced a second 7th inning stretch in a game! Well the bottom of the 14th came (it sounds so crazy to type that!) and Greg Allen decided enough was enough and on the first pitch hit a Home Run to right and ballgame! I’ll never forget that day. And to think, we almost missed it. I can tell you I’ll never walk out of something early again!
My final Cleveland Indians game took place on Sunday, June 20, 2021 in Pittsburgh. Father’s Day. Fitting given our Indians history. It wasn’t our first Father’s Day game, but sadly it was our last. Even though it wasn’t a home game, it was still hard walking out of the ballpark that day. I knew it was the last time I’d see the Indians.
So what comes next? Honestly, I don’t know. This feels like grieving the loss of a friend in your life who is very much still alive and just doesn’t want to be a part of your life anymore. I can honestly say that I haven’t given the 2022 schedule a second glance. I am not planning my summer trip home around what weekend the Indians will be playing at home. I might make it back to a game in Cleveland at some point but it won’t be next year. Instead, I’m choosing to focus on checking the MLB Ballparks off my bucket list. I’ll always love baseball. The atmosphere is so so special. What can I say? It’s hard not to be romantic about baseball.
