Cleveland Sports Forum

Tom Hanks closed SNL with 'Go Tribe!'

Oldest Indians champion rooting for new winners

First baseman Robinson is the last living member of the 1948 World Series club

By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com | @castrovince | October 22nd, 2016 + 5 COMMENTS

CLEVELAND --

It is a unique distinction, but it's one Eddie Robinson has no interest in maintaining. The last living member of the last Indians team to win the World Series? That's not exactly a badge of honor for the 95-year-old former first baseman on the 1948 champs.

"I keep wanting them to win a World Series, and it's been more than 60 years," said Robinson, whose Indians will take on the Cubs in this year's Fall Classic. "I think it's time. And this may be the year."

Robinson, who is also the oldest living former player for the Yankees and Tigers, is less than two months from his 96th birthday, and his mind and his interest in baseball are still quite sharp. He lived what he describes as a "lifetime of baseball," first with a playing career that spanned 13 Major League seasons, then as a coach and farm director and, eventually, as the general manager of the Braves (1972-76) and Rangers ('77-82). He finished his working days as a scout for the Red Sox and chronicled his 65 years in the game in his book, "Lucky Me."

It is the Cleveland connection, though, that stands out at the outset of the 2016 World Series. Robinson, who makes his home in Fort Worth, Texas, and identifies himself as a Rangers fan, hopes this is the Fall Classic that will bring the Indians their first championship in 68 years.

With Texas knocked out in the American League Division Series, Robinson said he's all in on Cleveland.

"They have a very interesting team," Robinson said. "They have a team where hardly anybody knows anything about the players. I didn't. I went to see them play here in Texas, and I didn't know any of the players, but I realized they were good players. They surprised me when I saw them here. That team is a better team than I thought it was. They've proven it by going out and winning, but they've actually won it with a lot of guys that the baseball world isn't too familiar with."

The 1948 Indians were something of a surprise themselves. They were coming off a fourth-place showing in '47, when they finished 17 games out of first. So it's not as if they were a popular pick for the AL pennant in '48. But rookie pitcher Gene Bearden came out of nowhere to win the league ERA title and he, Bob Lemon and Bob Feller combined for 59 victories and 53 complete games.

Larry Doby, a year after breaking the AL color barrier, moved to the outfield and made major offensive and defensive strides. Player-manager Lou Boudreau, nearly traded by owner Bill Veeck in the offseason, responded to the winter controversy with the best season of his Hall of Fame career, and Boudreau at short, Ken Keltner at third, Joe Gordon at second and Robinson at first gave the Indians an infield group that combined for 432 RBIs.
10/9/48: Larry Doby crushes a solo home run in the bottom of the 3rd inning to extend the Indians' lead to 2-0 in Game 4 of the World Series

Robinson hit .254 with 16 homers and 18 doubles.

"We won our first four games of the season, and Joe Gordon, who was my roommate on the road, told me, 'We're going to win the pennant,'" Robinson said. "But that year, the Yankees and the Red Sox and [the] Philadelphia [A's] and Cleveland were neck and neck, just about the whole season. It made for a very exciting year, but also a very nervous year."

Never were Robinson's nerves as frayed as they were on Oct. 4, when the Tribe played the Red Sox in the AL tiebreaker. Nowadays, such one-game drama is baked into the postseason schedule in the form of the Wild Card Game, but in 1948, it was a first.

"Bearden started that game [on one day's rest], and he had a trick pitch -- a knuckle-curve -- that everybody swung at and nobody could hit," said Robinson, who came off the bench and singled and scored a run in that game. "It was a tough assignment, and he did great. Our World Series was not as exciting as winning the pennant. That was tough. After we won the pennant, the World Series didn't seem to be as nerve-wracking."

The Indians beat another Boston team -- the Braves -- in six games. There were 86,288 people at Municipal Stadium for Game 5, a perfect capper to a home season in which Cleveland drew a Major League-high 2.6 million fans.

"Bill Veeck had bought the team, and Bill was a promoter," Robinson said. "In '47, we didn't do all that great, but he got the people enthused with his promotions, and he used to bring buses from outlying towns to the ballpark. Starting in '48, it was exciting from the beginning. And when there were 86,000 people at the park, it was fabulous. It was really great. As a player, all you could hear was a roar. There was no identifying individual sounds. It was just a big roar."
10/11/48: Gene Bearden gets Tommy Holmes to fly out to seal the Indians' World Series-clinching win, their second title in franchise history

Because the Indians lost Game 5 at home, the Series shifted back to Boston, where the Tribe finished the job and set up a rollicking party on the train ride back home.

"Fabulous," Robinson said. "Champagne was dripping from the ceiling in the club car. I don't know what it cost him, but Veeck had to refurbish the car after we got to Cleveland. And then we had the great big huge parade down Euclid Avenue, and that was wonderful. The whole year was a wonderful year. It was the highlight of my whole big league career."

Just to show how it all goes and comes around in baseball, Robinson's career would wind up crossing paths with Tito Francona, whose son, Terry, has now managed the Indians to within four wins of their first title in what, for Robinson and others, feels like forever. And count Robinson among those who would love to see the organizational drought end.

"I just hope Cleveland wins it," Robinson said. "I think it's time."

Keep wearing the Wahoo cap.

Tom Hanks closed SNL with 'Go Tribe!'
Go Tom!

This is pretty cool ...

http://tribevibe.mlblogs.com/2016/10/24 ... 6104914520

Yeah, I saw that, and was about to post it. We can use all the help we can get. This is not going to be as easy as the last two series!

Indians fans bring goats to Progressive Field in hopes of continuing Chicago Cubs curse
Alan Mancuso, his daughter Rachel and goats CC (in blanket) and Stardust visited Progressive Field on Sunday to continue the curse against the Chicago Cubs. (Alan Mancuso)


CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cleveland Indians fans want to make sure the Chicago Cubs' Curse of the Billy Goat lives on. So they brought two goats to Progressive Field on Sunday.

"Everyone was really excited that I did it," Alan Mancuso said Monday. "Especially those that know about the curse."

Many Cubs fans believe their team hasn't been to a World Series in seven decades because of a goat.

On Oct. 6, 1945, Billy Sianis, owner of the Billy Goat Tavern, arrived at Wrigley Field for game four of the 1945 World Series with his pet goat, according to history.com

Sianis, who had a ticket for his goat, was either turned away at the gate or was allowed to enter but later asked to leave because his goat smelled, according to the website.

Regardless, an angry Sianis allegedly declared "Them Cubs, they ain't gonna win no more."

The Cubs lost in 1945 and have not appeared in a World Series until now. They last won the World Series in 1908.

Mancuso and his wife Beth have three goats at their Ohio City home. While at church on Sunday, his friend Mark Duskey suggested they perform their own goat curse, he said.

Mancuso, 47, a lifelong Indians fan, agreed.

"I thought my wife would nix the idea," but she agreed, he said.

So with the help of his daughter, Duskey's son and another friend, they lifted CC and Stardust into the back of Duskey's minivan. They threw in some hay to keep them happy and headed downtown.

They took the goats out at several entrances around the field to remind the baseball gods about the curse. The goats, chomping happily, walked by the gates and the main plaza by the Bob Feller statue.

Fans took selfies with the goats, Mancuso said. (Don't worry, he took care to clean up after the animals.)

"This was to razz our friends in Chicago," said Mancuso, who has long been a Cubs fan, too.

When he attends the game Tuesday night, the Cleveland native will cheer for the Indians.

"I'm a bigger Indians fan," he said.

Cleveland Indians pitcher Corey Kluber gives his World Series tickets to a little girl
Posted 1:33 pm, October 25, 2016, by Kara Sutyak

CLEVELAND, Ohio– It will be a week Cleveland Indians fans won’t forget as the World Series begins tonight in Cleveland.

Some lucky fans will be able to see it in person at Progressive Field. That includes a little girl who is a patient at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital.

According to MLB, the little girl named Aly will be at Game 1 thanks to Indians pitcher Corey Kluber.

When the Indians players each received two World Series tickets, Kluber and his wife, Amanda, chose to give theirs to Aly and one of her family members.

“It’s one of those things, it just shows you how much of an impact you can have on other people– even something as little as bring a smile to someone’s face who is going through a rough time.. it makes just as much of an impact on us,” Kluber said.

This is nothing new for the Klubers. All season, they have been entertaining children who are being cared for at local hospitals. It’s part of “Kluber’s Kids,” a program run in partnership with Cleveland Clinic Children’s.

Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center



Cleveland Indians World Series Run
Amanda and Corey Kluber with one of their biggest fans.

Amanda and Corey Kluber with one of their biggest fans.
Tuesday, October 25, 2016

For the Indians, the road to the World Series traveled through the Cleveland VA

Some say it’s a coincidence but here at the Cleveland VA Medical Center we know the truth, if you want to get to the World Series, your first stop is with us. If you don’t believe us, take a moment to read about our season with Corey Kluber and the Indians.

Early this spring, the Cleveland Indians asked if their star pitcher Corey Kluber could come and visit with our patients and if we’d be willing to bring our Veterans to a few of the games throughout the season as a part of Manager Terry Francona’s “Friends of Francona” program.

During Corey and his wife Amanda’s first visit, we gave them an opportunity to learn more about the medical center, our services and the Veterans we treat. They met with some of our Veterans in the community living center, talking baseball and were quizzed on the prospects for the season.

Corey’s first visit inspired four more visits to the medical center, each one furthering his commitment to thanking our Veterans for their service. The daughter of one of our Veterans noticed through Facebook that Corey was visiting and asked us if we could make a special trip to see her dad, a long-time Kluber fan. We were able to connect the daughter, her dad and Corey on his very next visit. She shared a photo with us saying “Thank you so much, Dad is on cloud 9!! You made his life a little bit sweeter. Can’t thank you enough!”

Each of Corey’s additional visits focused on a different patient population. Corey met with patients on our oncology floor, visited with some of our hospice patients, signed autographs and posed for photos with Veterans in our infusion clinic, and even met one of our special patients suffering from an ALS-type disease. The patient is a huge baseball fan and loved getting to meet Corey. As an extra special treat, Corey gave the patient his jersey and signed it. We are pretty sure the patient will be wearing his Jersey during the World Series.

Corey’s last visit with us was a bit different than the first few. He brought Mr. Larry Dolan, the owner of the Indians with him. Mr. Dolan came to show his support for Corey’s work with our Veterans and to learn more about the VA. They met with Veterans in our PTSD support group, taking the time to answer questions and talk about their experiences on and off the field

Also during this season, thanks to the “Friends of Francona” program, six different groups of our Veterans got to enjoy an afternoon at the ball park. They were treated to a suite, refreshments, in-game announcements, and special recognition. These Veterans had the time of their lives getting an opportunity to cheer on their “friend” Corey and the hometown team.

The excitement in Cleveland has continued into the playoffs for our Veterans and now the World Series. Bank of America and their partnership with Major League Baseball made it possible for our Veterans to attend each of the home playoff games, and now a few of our Veterans are getting to go to the World Series. One of our Veterans going to Game 2 is bringing his granddaughter, she’s in the Army and scheduled to deploy soon. Another one of our Veterans attending Game 1 was there in 1948, the last time the Indians won the World Series.

Corey and the Indians could have stopped at one visit, or one game, and Bank of America and Major League Baseball didn’t have to include our Veterans, but they did. Each visit and each game were special experiences for our Veteran patients. Our Veterans will never forget meeting Corey Kluber the 2014 Cy Young Awardee and they will never forget being treated like the heroes they are at the games thanks to Manager Terry Frandona.

If you don’t believe we’re the key to the Indians’ success by hearing the story of our season, then just look at our record. Of the six regular-season games our Veterans attended, the Indians won four. For the games following Corey’s visits to the VA, he has four wins and one loss. The Indians also won each of their home American League Playoff games, games Veterans from the Cleveland VA attended. Coincidence? We think not!

We at the Cleveland VA appreciate the generosity of the Klubers, the Indians, Major League Baseball and Bank of America. Their generosity has improved the quality of life for our Veterans, making moments they will remember forever. We will be cheering for Corey and the team all week as they take on the Chicago Cubs, also a great organization, supportive of our Veterans, but not our hometown team so please excuse the bias.

Good luck Indians!

(Dates Corey Visited: April 20 – Won April 23 / May 6 – Lost May 9 / June 1 – Won June 5 / August 3 – Won Aug 6 / September 7 – Won September 11)

(Dates Veterans Attended Games for Friends of Francona Program: May 15 – Loss / June 5 – Win / June 19 – Win / July 10 – Loss / August 21 – Win / September 4 – Win)

MARBLEHEAD, Ohio (AP) -- A longtime Cleveland Indians fan says he didn't think twice about giving up his plane seat to make sure former outfielder Kenny Lofton arrived in time to throw out the ceremonial first pitch as this year's World Series began.

Ken Kostal, of Marblehead, says he was waiting to board a delayed flight from Los Angeles to Cleveland early Tuesday when he recognized Lofton, the speedy outfielder Kostal had watched as a season ticket holder in the 1990s. When he overheard Lofton saying he wasn't sure he'd get a seat on the plane, Kostal offered his seat, and a gate agent made the ticket swap.

He also snapped a selfie with Lofton, who did get to Cleveland and throw the first pitch before his old team beat the Chicago Cubs 6-0.

KenM would've done the same as KenK, I'm sure.

Heading home, Indians remain in driver's seat


By Mike Bauman / MLB.com | 4:39 PM ET

CHICAGO -- The Cleveland Indians have not been derailed. It is much more likely that they have merely been delayed.

On the brink of their first World Series championship in 68 years, the Indians dropped a 3-2 decision to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday night. That was disappointing, but on the other hand, the Tribe will take a 3-2 Series lead home to Cleveland for Game 6 on Tuesday night.




The Cubs, who have scored only 10 runs in five games in this Series, managed to bunch three in the fourth inning off Cleveland starter Trevor Bauer. That was all they got for the entire evening, but that was one more than the Indians. Chicago took no chances, using closer Aroldis Chapman for 2 2/3 innings, the longest relief outing of his Major League career.



Here is what there is to like about the Indians' chances, beyond the obvious fact that they are ahead in the Series and will be playing at home: They have come this far behind two starting pitchers, one of whom has been pitching very well. The other one has been pitching at a level that is historically great.



Josh Tomlin is the scheduled Game 6 starter. He is 2-0 with a 1.76 ERA in three starts this postseason. True, Tomlin has accumulated just 15 1/3 innings, but with the way Cleveland's bullpen has performed, long starts have not been a necessary component for this club to succeed.

If the Series goes to Game 7, the Tribe's starter would be its ace, Corey Kluber, who is 4-1 with a 0.89 ERA in five starts this postseason. This is the second-best postseason ERA for any pitcher who has made a minimum of five starts in a single postseason.

Both Tomlin and Kluber will be pitching on short rest, but manager Terry Francona has kept their pitch counts within reason. Kluber already won Game 4 on short rest. Beyond that, they're ready, willing and able take the ball.

"I think you could probably ask anybody on either team, and they're going to pitch whenever they're called upon at this point in time," Kluber said. "I mean, it's the last series of the year. It's the World Series. I think you'd be really hard-pressed to find somebody who didn't want to go out there and pitch."


The Cubs aren't sending any chumps to the mound for the rest of the Series, either. Their scheduled Game 6 starter is the 2015 National League Cy Young Award winner, Jake Arrieta. Their Game 7 starter would be Kyle Hendricks, who led the Majors in ERA this season.

Still, the Indians have a masterful 1.84 ERA in this Series, Kluber has been the best starter on either team, and lefty reliever Andrew Miller, who has produced both quality and quantity for the Tribe, actually had a night off Sunday. Add in the off-day Monday and there is no telling how many innings Miller could pitch by Tuesday night.

The non-pitching Indians have an abiding belief in their pitching staff, as well they should. They have seen their hurlers hold down powerful lineups from Boston, Toronto and now Chicago this October.

"We still have the same pitching staff, I still believe in my pitching staff, I still believe that we can do it," shortstop Francisco Lindor said after the loss Sunday night. "We've got to play the game hard. We have to outplay them to win.

"I believe in my team. I believe in what we have. I'm looking forward to it. It should be pretty special. God willing, we're going to win."

The only member of Cleveland's abbreviated rotation who has not been outstanding is Bauer. He at least put up three scoreless innings before the Cubs reached him Sunday night.



But Bauer isn't scheduled to start any more games for the Tribe in this World Series. Tomlin and Kluber, if necessary, will get those opportunities. Their work to date can only encourage Cleveland fans.

Plus, the basic, fundamental "one baseball game to play tonight" approach of Francona will not be altered. His work here has been impeccable. Francona is just one victory away from a third World Series championship as a manager, and his work in this Series demonstrates why he has succeeded at this lofty level.

Asked Sunday night for a "big-picture" view of his club's circumstances, Francona replied:

"Well, I don't know. I'm not real big picture. I think tomorrow we'll have an optional workout, but I know we need to be there for like media obligations, stuff like that. Guys will get treatments, stuff like that. And we have the good plane again, so we can fly around for a while. I don't care. Then we'll show up whatever day is the next day and see if we can beat them."

This has been a tremendous year for the Indians. Missing a major talent in Michael Brantley, missing two starting pitchers, the Tribe won its division and then won seven of eight games to become upset winners in two rounds of the postseason.

Now, on baseball's biggest stage, the Indians have won three of five from the Cubs, the team with baseball's best record. It does not seem like too much to ask for Cleveland to win one of two games at home with its most reliable starters ready to pitch.

Cleveland Indians facing Game 7: Officially time to be nervous -- Terry Pluto


CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Now, I'm nervous.

Very, very nervous.

I know, the Cleveland Indians have Game 7 of the 2016 World Series at home.

And they have Corey Kluber on the mound.

And if this season has taught us anything about the Tribe, it's never write them off.

So understand, I'm still hopeful ... as much as possible after watching them lose the last two games to the Chicago Cubs.

But after watching the Cubs crush the Tribe, 9-2, in Game 6 Tuesday at Progressive Field, I'm feeling a bit shaky right now.

One of my theories is that the longer a series lasts, the more likely the team with the better roster wins.

Part of the reason the Indians reached the World Series is they took care of baseball business quickly -- sweeping Boston in three games, taking 4-of-5 from Toronto.

The Cubs won a Major League best 103 games this season. They had the second-best road record in the Majors. They are loaded with talent.

They also aren't trying to win the World Series with only two fully healthy starters. But that's what the Indians are attempting to do.

Furthermore, one of them is Josh Tomlin, who opened the season as the team's No. 5 starter.

The Game 6 mess wasn't all his fault. Center fielder Tyler Naquin misplayed a fly ball into a two-run double.

Dan Otero relieved Tomlin with the bases loaded and one out. He promptly threw a grand slam to Addison Russell.

The Tribe was down 7-0 before coming to bat in the bottom of the third.

But Tomlin knew he was not close to his best.

LET'S TRY TO BE REASONABLE

For the Indians, it's a Game 7 ... at home.

It's a Game 7 with Kluber on the mound.

It's the same Corey Kluber who is 4-1 with an 0.89 ERA in the postseason.

It's the same Corey Kluber who doesn't seem to be bothered by pressure -- and the same Corey Kluber who won both of his starts against the Cubs, allowing one run in 12 innings.


If manager Terry Francona could pick anyone to start this game -- it's Corey Kluber.

And if Francona could find a way to have a rested bullpen for a Game 7, he'd embrace the idea.

Guess what?

Star relievers Andrew Miller and Cody Allen didn't pitch because this game was a blowout for the Cubs.

So the Indians head into Game 7 ... at home ... with Kluber starting and Miller/Allen fresh.

This is much different than trying to close out the World Series with Trevor Bauer (Game 5 starter) or Tomlin.

As for Kluber, he sounded the same as always when interviewed before the game.

"I'll be rooting as hard as anybody for us to win (Game 6)," he said. "But I'm doing all my work to be prepared. I'd rather be prepared and not have to pitch ... than not be ready when it comes."

BUT I'M STILL WORRIED

I'm not going to spend any time analyzing Game 6.

Here's what you need to know: Cubs fans loved it, Tribe fans hated it.

The same Cubs fans who were frightened their favorite team would be swept out of the World Series by losing three in a row in Wrigley Field ... well ... now they are feeling confident In Cleveland.

And the fans of the little blue bears had moods that matched the color of their favorite team for much of last Sunday. I know. I was there in Chicago.

Two games later, they have hope.

They saw the Cubs crush three home runs, the Chicago hitters seem to be feeling confident.

They also have starter Kyle Hendricks pitching on his usual four-day rest.

Hendricks was 16-8 with a 2.13 ERA in the regular season. He is 1-1 with a 1.31 in the postseason.

Counting the postseason, Kluber has thrown 245 innings. He will be pitching on three-days rest for the third time in the postseason.

"I don't think pitching on three days has hurt him," said Francona. "I wouldn't want to do it all year. But for a couple of starts, I think he can handle it just fine."

And the Indians are counting on it.

Indians retaining key piece in Santana
Club picked up slugger's $12 million option for 2017 season


By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | 24 minutes ago

CLEVELAND -- The sting has not worn off for the Indians. They know how close they came to reaching baseball's mountaintop, falling just short in an incredible Game 7 that ended with the Cubs partying on Cleveland's home field as the World Series champions.

With a roster that could return virtually unchanged, and with some key reinforcements expected back, the Indians also know they have the pieces to go for it again. That process began on Friday, with Cleveland picking up first baseman Carlos Santana's $12 million team option for the 2017 season.

Santana enjoyed a career season while splitting his time between first base and designated hitter. The switch-hitter also doubled as a leadoff man when not batting in the heart of the lineup. During the World Series, Santana even played left field in two games at Wrigley Field to help manager Terry Francona piece together a better lineup.


"Part of his continued development and maturity as a teammate," team president Chris Antonetti said last week, "is his willingness to do anything he can to help the team. ... That's really been his mindset for the entirety of the season and I think it's helped him be successful, because he's not focused on his individual accomplishments, but the team success."

Over 158 games, Santana established career highs in home runs (34), RBIs (87), runs (89), hits (151), slugging percentage (.498) and OPS (.865). He finished the regular season batting .259 with a .366 on-base percentage and ended with as many walks (99) as strikeouts (99). In his seventh season with the Indians, Santana spent 92 games as the DH and 62 as the first baseman, while starting 85 games at leadoff and 59 in the No. 5 slot.

From a financial standpoint, the $12 million club option was a no-brainer, considering Santana's production (3.7 WAR, per Fangraphs). With a win valued at a little more than $8 million in terms of free-agent cost, Santana's 2016 season was valued at nearly $30 million. That alone shows how much sense it makes for Cleveland to pick up the option, but the move also is logical in terms of the Tribe's roster makeup.

Santana and slugger Mike Napoli, who also launched 34 homers and led the team with 101 RBIs, divided their time between first base and DH this year, but the latter is eligible for free agency. Napoli, 35, has expressed a desire to re-sign with the Indians, but he is coming off a career year and might have a handful of multiyear contract opportunities. By picking up Santana's option, Cleveland has ensured that one of the two will be back.

Antonetti and general manager Mike Chernoff are scheduled to meet with the local media Friday afternoon to discuss the season and offseason. The team's interest in retaining Napoli, as well as free-agent outfielder Rajai Davis, will be among the many topics broached. Veteran outfielder Coco Crisp will also be a free agent, but he is unlikely to be a part of the 2017 plans.

In addition to exercising Carlos Santana's 2017 club option, Indians have also picked up the 2019 and 2020 club options on manager Terry Francona.