Tribe fans come in all shapes, sizes and varying degrees of fandom. From the diehards, who have waited their whole lives for 2016, to the bandwagons, who have only begun to care for the sport, and everyone in between, we’ve all had a part in helping to get the Indians this far.
Since the Cavs win in June, it’s been a growing realization that the children of this era have seen Cleveland as a winning city. The stories of the drought hit most of us directly in the gut, but to them, they hold a fresh, new perspective of the idea we’ve all try to cling to: that anything is possible. The “Cleveland state of mind” we were all born with is quickly being replaced with a growing sense of pride and confidence and those outside of our amazing city are starting to notice.
Early on in 2016, when the predictions for the regular season started to appear, the Indians were expected to have a good year, and on paper could possibly get to the postseason. They had the best pitching staffs in the American League lead by Corey Kluber, a solid all around phenom in Michael Brantley, a couple of new power bats like Mike Napoli, and a squad coming off a decent season with a lot to prove under Terry Francona. It was like looking at a puzzle with all the pieces dumped out on the floor, and the fans, though seeing that all the pieces were there, still felt nervously optimistic that everything could be pieced together…and then pieces began to go missing.
Many of us looked to Tito for guidance. Since coming to Cleveland there was very few decisions he has made that fans have disagreed with. So, with some slight hesitation for doing outside-of-the-box moves, most were on board. In place of Michael Brantley came Jose Ramirez, and for Abraham Almonte came Tyler Naquin, and piece by piece something started to emerge. These ideas of using players who were either new in the bigs or new to a position seemed questionable, but beyond all the doubt, they worked. One move that really tested the limits was moving Carlos Santana to the top of the batting order. Again, with the trust in Tito, the fans were eagerly curious how this would go, and Los wasted no time proving how great of an idea it was. His first at bat leading off ended up in a homer in Comerica park off Justin Verlander, and the life of every doubt was sucked out of the room. This was my moment when I knew something different was happening this year.
Fast forward to a few days before the Cavs win in game seven. The energy in Cleveland was at an alltime high and winning was in the air. People all over town were decked out in gear that repped our town, unaware of the actual domination that was about to take place. No, I don’t mean the actual win for the Cavs, I’m talking about the game that set off a 14-game win streak for the Wahoos. June 17th, the boys were facing the Chicago White Sox coming off of an off day, and ended it with a 3-2 walk off by Santana. The next day? A 13-2 win with the help of Napoli, Naquin and Rajai Davis going yard and Salazar going deep. Something about this felt different, the players and the fans both knew it, and for once without questioning it, they held on for the ride. Two games turned into four, and four turned into six. Six went to double digits and before we knew it, they put together a streak to break the franchise record. Yes, people were still high on basketball at this point, but this was another set of pieces falling together. The boys played the game, and by that I mean they played, they had fun, and those of us trickling into the stands had just as much fun seeing it. That streak was another moment, where not only myself, but fans across the 216 started to realize that something special was happening, and it was getting harder to ignore.
Then there was the trade for the ‘pen arm Andrew Miller at the deadline. Many were skeptical due to the fact that the Tribe gave away top prospect Clint Frazier, but he soon faded into a memory. Miller was that middle piece to the puzzle no one ever thought would be found. The missing piece. When the Indians front office even hinted at going for a bigger name, fans began to listen intently. We hoped that they could find a player who matches all of the needs and the ability to bring all the ends together to create a single, cohesive unit to finish out the year. This moment was the proof the stragglers and doubters needed to take a step back and see this team and the city of Cleveland meant business.
And then there was Naquin. Just those words alone will bring the same image to every fan’s mind with the sound of Hammy’s voice yelling those beautiful words “HERE’S THE THROW! NOT! IN! TIME!” I’ll paint the picture for you. Jose Ramirez hits a solo shot in the 9th inning to tie the game against the Toronto Blue Jays. The energy was building, and the park began to shake. The rookie then stepped into the box, with a walkoff still fresh from the night before. He launched one to right center off the wall, and realized after rounding first that he could then reach second. Once he reached second, he almost tripped into third before leaving behind a frantic Sarbaugh to slide into home. An inside-the-park home run, so unbelieveable that fans who didn’t see the end of the game refused to believe it was true. This was the moment that fans, media and players alike believed 100% that the Indians could make the improbable, possible.
The fans of this team have taken each of these moments as a promise that there is no line between us and the Indians. We are all here fighting for the same end, aching to reach the same goals. The newest fans for whatever reason have come at will into our circle, and so far haven’t been given a reason to leave. The oldest, loyalest diehards breathe out a sigh of relief that what we’ve known could happen is actually taking place. There will always be those who don’t share in our vision and refuse to see what’s right in front of their faces, but lucky for us, new and old, we’ve trained for decades to fight against the world, and we’re damn good at it. This is to celebrate the moments that created a bond no one has felt since the 90’s, to celebrate those who grew up in oversized Tribe gear, grew old in the bad years, or grew into a new fondness for the sport. We might not play the game, but the game couldn’t be played without us, and we stand with our boys till the end, Team Believe against the world.
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