Cleveland Sports Forum

Boy Francona has put on a few

how about Tito on the Tribe? must be a photo out there somewhere or his Topps card. I remember [which doesn't mean I'm right] that he first wore No. 14 and when Birdie Tebbets took over and created a more orderly numbering system, he switched to 24, since all OF's were in the 20's. Unless it was the other way around and he got 14 because he was a first baseman.

Number 14 on this card:

Number 24 here:

THANK YOU! Some pretty good highlights listed on that baseball card. Couldn't make out the fine print on his stats but they must have been for '59 when he hit .347.

Not a lot going on here. Forumites must have forgotten that the season continues into October this year.

This Is Believeland
Oct 5 2017

Andrew Miller, Pitcher / Cleveland Indians - The Players' Tribune

I realized something important about this Indians team on a Thursday night a few weeks ago in Cleveland.

We had won 21 in a row at that point. The game that night, number 22, was for the record. It was a big national story — more people were watching and paying attention to our team than ever. Everyone was checking up on us to see whether we’d make it happen, but the Royals had taken the lead early. We were down 2–1 in the bottom of the ninth.

With two outs.

Francisco Lindor was our last hope. Against Kelvin Herrera, their All-Star closer.

Frankie walked up to the plate like he had complete control of the situation. It just felt like one of those moments when you’re not sure what’s going to happen, but you know it’s going to be something to remember.

I had pitched earlier in the night, so I was in the dugout and had a front row seat to everything as it was playing out.

Frankie had fallen behind in the count and yet … everyone in our dugout knew what was about to happen.

We all had confidence in him even though he was backed into a corner — 2-2, down to our last strike.

As I scanned the dugout, I was amazed at what I didn’t see. I didn’t see any weakness. I didn’t see any fatigue. No one would have blamed us for losing game number 22 — we had already tied the modern record. We had an iron grip on our division race. Still, I didn’t see anyone giving up. We expected Frankie to come through and that the team would find a way to win the game. All of us.

We all just kind of … had a feeling.

They don’t call this town Believeland for nothing, right?

And then, a moment later …

BOOM.

Lindor rocketed a double off the wall, tying the game. A half hour after that, we won it in extras.

History.



Looking back now, I was in a pretty unique position during that crazy run we went on this summer. I have a perspective on the streak that almost no one else has.

Because I was part of it, but, at the same time, I missed almost all of it.

For nearly the entire streak, I was in Cleveland rehabbing my knee. By the time I was activated on September 13, we were already 20 games deep into it. So I can’t claim much responsibility for what went down.

While no one ever imagined that we would win that many games in a row, no one was surprised by it.

But here’s the thing: Even though it was tough to miss all those games and hang back in Cleveland during team road trips, it gave me some time and distance to really appreciate how special this team is.

While I was on the DL, Michael Brantley and Jason Kipnis were also rehabbing injuries. Every night during the streak, we’d tune in, watching our guys win one game after another. When they came back home, we’d all get to the park earlier than normal just to bask in the energy.

It was quite a scene, especially as the wins kept piling up. Everyone was working hard to pretend it was business as usual. It was funny to watch, from my perspective — Tito keeps a really loose locker room, yet everyone is focused and works hard. I could tell guys were trying their best to keep to their routines. We were sticking to our guns — the usual games of cribbage, the Jobu shrine, all of that was still happening, undisturbed. The old cliché “One day at a time” was repeated more than anyone could count, just trying to convince ourselves it was true.

Here’s the best part, though: While no one ever imagined that we would win that many games in a row, no one was surprised by it.

And since then I’ve been thinking a little bit about why that was. I think it comes down to composure, confidence and the desire we all have to get better as a group every day.

We know what we have here, and that we are a good team from top to bottom. Even when we started out slow this year, no one was too fazed by that. We kept our cool. Everybody knew this team wasn’t playing up to its potential. If we prepared the way our coaching staff expected and took care of business it would come around.

We knew we had another gear.

We also knew that timing was everything — you want to be playing your best at the end of the year and we realized that as long as we did that we’d be in good shape. The long baseball season turned out to be a good thing for us.

It all came together at the right time and the streak was the highlight.

Now, heading into these games we’re about to play, that mentality is everything. During the streak, the city was electric — it was as close to a playoff atmosphere as you can get, without it being the actual postseason.

And seeing that environment up-close, night in and night out, was important to this upcoming playoff run.

The streak was amazing, no doubt. But looking back on it now, I hope it will be remembered as a dry run.


The streak was amazing, no doubt. But looking back on it now, I hope it will be remembered as a dry run.

There are plenty of reasons why I’m excited to be back in the postseason. One of the biggest ones is that I didn’t do what I needed to do at the end of last season.

Game 7, to this day … it’s a hard one to get past.

I didn’t pitch like I wanted to. I made some mistakes and paid for them.

After I was taken out of the game, I went into the clubhouse to change out of my cleats.

I was done.

As I made my way to the clubhouse, it hit me all at once — the exhaustion, the emotions, the mental toll of it all.

I sat down next to Kluber, who seemed to be hit with the same emotions. We gave everything we could and now could only cheer the team on.

The next thing I really remember vividly is Rajai’s homer — we had fallen behind early, only to rally back. His shot tied it up, and we went into extras. Anything could happen at that point — in a matter of moments, we could be champions.

Then the rain delay happened and I ran up to the locker room.

The first thing I saw was a bunch of MLB gofers and clubbies scurrying around, trying to hide what they were doing — as much as they could, at least.

But I saw what they were setting up.

It was the Visqueen — those big clear plastic tarps that protect everything from an ocean of champagne.

It was being spread out for the celebration.

They were decorating that room for the World Series champions.

I really wish I hadn’t seen that!



In the end, it just didn’t go our way.

I wouldn’t say it hurt to see the Cubs celebrate on our field — it was more than that. In that moment, I knew that it could have been us.

When we got back to the clubhouse after the game ended, the Visqueen had vanished.

The clubhouse was quiet. We were all disappointed but I noticed a certain vibe that was really cool to experience. It wasn’t defeat or sadness.

We believe that we can write a better ending this time around.

It was desire.

We had gotten so close, but we all knew that we had what it took to make it back again. No one was taking it for granted, and we knew it wouldn’t be easy … but we also knew we had it in us. And since then we’ve only gotten better. We got Edwin. We got Boone Logan. The front office does a great job of finding people who not only produce, but who also fit into our style and attitude perfectly. Players who respond to pressure. Guys like Joe Smith and Jay Bruce, who haven’t wasted any time contributing down the stretch.

Everyone wants the same thing — just like they have since I was lucky enough to hitch a ride with this team last season — and that’s to finish the job.



Nearly all of last year’s playoffs was a blast. We were all in it together, and for a while it was as good as it gets. It was like a dream, the city embraced us and we fed off the energy. When LeBron and the Cavs showed up for the games it was icing on the cake. While the dream came crashing down at the last moment, it was a great ride and we are better for it. Now it’s a new postseason, and this team believes more than ever in what we can do.

We’re better prepared and we’ve been tested. We’ve proven to ourselves that we’re a special group that is going to take everything we’ve been through together — last year’s World Series, this year’s winning streak — and put all of those lessons to use.

We believe that we can write a better ending this time around.

We know it.

We’ve already seen one miracle this year.

And that was us just getting started. Believe me.

The winning streak was only a dry run.

You ready for the real thing?

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/andre ... lieveland/

Another essay by Andrew Miller, from last year:

The feeling you get when you win a Major League Baseball playoff series is tough to describe.

It’s almost like you don’t know where you are, and for a while you can’t feel anything. It’s as though your body doesn’t know what to make of it. It’s like you’re moving even though you’re just standing still.

But then there’s a certain energy that takes over when you reach the clubhouse to celebrate. It becomes a frantic scene of hugs and congratulations all around. There’s a sense of relief that the hard work has paid off, and a chance to appreciate everyone who helped the team get to that point. The champagne perfectly magnifies the energy.

And that feeling lasts.

It’s not the type of thing that fades away in a few minutes.

I kept wanting to wake up to make sure this whole thing wasn’t a dream — that this was real life.

So after my Indians teammates and I punched our ticket to the World Series last Wednesday, celebrated together in the visitor’s clubhouse in Toronto and flew back home to Cleveland, it was another two nights before my sleep routine returned to normal. The night we clinched, I was full of energy — I could barely keep my eyes shut. But even the next night, that Thursday, I was still so excited from winning the ALCS that it was hard to sleep. I kept wanting to wake up to make sure this whole thing wasn’t a dream — that this was real life.

I have to say, it was nice when Friday rolled around and I got a solid night of sleep.

That lasted exactly one night.

Over the weekend, it started getting a little hard to fall asleep again. This time, though, it was because of anticipation for what’s to come.

I’d lay down, and I’d want to fall asleep, but the excitement of playing in a World Series was impossible to ignore.

Now that this moment has finally arrived, I can’t wait to take it all in.

The journey I’ve experienced had to happen. The good and the bad have combined to prepare me for this exact moment.


I’ll always remember after I was traded from the Yankees, I landed at a quiet Cleveland airport pretty late at night. I knew I was in for something special when the driver who picked me up told me how excited the city was to have me, and about how talk radio in Cleveland had been buzzing all day about the deal. He was going a mile a minute.

The driver told me all about the way the city had embraced the club — they had recently reeled off a 14-game winning streak, and everything seemed to be clicking. His enthusiasm made me eager to get to Progressive Field the next day.

And that was just the car ride from the airport.

Once I got into town and joined my teammates, my excitement continued to build even further. Having Tito Francona and Mike Napoli around certainly helped some, because I knew them well from my time with the Red Sox. Ultimately, everyone went out of their way to welcome me and my family. With the bullpen group in particular, we spent a lot of time together and immediately I felt like I fit in.

From there, I just kind of integrated myself into Tito’s clubhouse, and I’ve loved every minute of it.



He sets the tone from the top down, and because of that our team is incredibly loose. That’s his style, and it’s so much fun to be a part of it. Tito plays cribbage with guys constantly. Josh Tomlin and Jason Bere, our bullpen coach, engage in epic R.B.I. Baseball battles on the original Nintendo. Trevor Bauer is running around shooting GoPro videos. We are all over the place … but no one is walking on eggshells. We get to the ballpark early because we like hanging out with each other, and I think it’s paid off on the field with our results. It’s part of why we’ve made it to this point.

Obviously we have bigger goals ahead, and I think everybody is set on doing all they can to keep our clubhouse the way it has been all year. Now is not the time for change.



The season hasn’t always gone as planned, though. The number of injuries we have experienced has been staggering — especially when it comes to our starting pitching. Losing both Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar for extended periods of time was rough. Injuries of that nature might have had a greater impact on other teams, but we persevered.

Then the drone attacked Trevor Bauer.

After it happened, some guys showed frustration, other guys laughed. But there was nothing malicious on Trevor’s part. It was unfortunate, sure. But it could’ve happened to anybody doing something away from the field — washing dishes, or putting together a bookshelf. If anything, Trevor was just being himself and doing something he enjoyed when he got hurt. Be yourself is preached in a lot of places, but it’s often not accepted in reality.

It’s going to make for a hell of a story at some point down the line if we win this thing.

At the end of the day, we really like our chances when Trevor is on the mound, and he did everything he could to be out there during the ALCS. Unfortunately, he was unable to limit the bleeding from his stitches and couldn’t make it out of the first inning of Game 3. Accidents happen, and good teams find a way to overcome them. We had a similar game in September when Carlos Carrasco broke his hand in the first inning. We drew from that experience, and when Trevor had to be taken out, we again found a way to win.

So, sure, the drone incident was bad luck and it’s not ideal.…

But it’s going to make for a hell of a story at some point down the line if we win this thing.



Of course, to prevail over a tremendous Cubs team and win it all, we’re going to need our fans to keep it up. They have brought a tremendous energy, and it will be hard to top what they’ve done to this point, but I expect them to be even better for the World Series.

Each round, the stadium has gotten a little bit louder … and this is the last series of the year. Everything’s at stake. There’s no reason to hold anything back.

If what I’ve seen around town the past few days is any indication, Indians fans are preparing to bring the noise like never before. The streets are flooded with fans in Indians gear. We are recognized in local restaurants and thanked for our efforts. The excitement is palpable. It really is all for one right now in this city.

Believe me, that makes a huge difference to the players on the field. We see that. We feed off the energy our fans bring to Progressive Field. We see it with the support from the world champion Cleveland Cavaliers. We appreciate the love from LeBron, and Richard, and J.R., and the rest of their team.


It’s been a blast to have that support from the Cavs, and, without question, LeBron is the man when it comes to hyping up our fans. I think the only way our stadium could be louder than when they show him on the jumbotron would be if we were to walk one off to win the World Series. That’s it.

He’s that important of a figure here.

We all want to bring a championship to Cleveland just like he did. That is the goal we are fighting toward.



If that were to happen, it would be the culmination of an incredible journey for me — and one that, in retrospect, seems like it may have been destined to happen.

In so many ways, I feel like there are analogies that can be drawn between this 2016 Indians team and my career as a major league pitcher.

A lot of baseball people picked this team as a potential contender at the beginning of the year. Everyone got on the bandwagon when the club started winning, and it was all pretty great. But the injuries began happening, and that bandwagon kind of fell apart.

The team never gave up or lost focus. We’ve grinded, and we’ve worked, and we’ve gotten better over time. And that’s what I hope people would say about me as a player.

I came into the league as a prospect and a high draft pick, but for a while things didn’t go as I had hoped. I struggled, I experienced a few injuries and gradually some people started hopping off my bandwagon. But I never stopped believing in myself. In some ways, I appreciate that I’ve had to work incredibly hard to get to where I am today. It makes this run of success that much sweeter.

I’m in the perfect place at the perfect time.

At the end of the day, I don’t think what I went through is anything special. This game isn’t easy. There are a select few players — the guys who are the best of the best in the world — who are able to be successful in the major leagues quickly and on a consistent basis. But those are the outliers. For the rest of us, it is a grind. Finding a way to push through and keep moving forward is just a reality of being a major league baseball player.

I always felt like I had the ability to perform at this level, even when the results weren’t there. I also feel like the journey I’ve experienced along the way had to happen. The good and the bad have combined to prepare me for this exact moment; a chance to play in the World Series.

It is a dream scenario.

Through the ups and the downs, I wouldn’t change a single thing. I’m in the perfect place at the perfect time.

This is going to be really fun, Cleveland. Let’s bring another championship trophy home.

See you at the stadium!
Andrew Miller / Contributor

Good guy and a good writer. He has another career ahead of him, but no hurry.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HB!

Happy Birthday HB!