I’ve started to dread the Indians’ annual trip to Oakland each year. For some reason, the combination of the Athletics and the Coliseum seem to befuddle the Tribe. In fact, the Indians had not even won a series in Oakland since 2002 – when Ryan Drese and Terry Mullholland were the winning pitchers of record. Even CC Sabathia, a Bay Area native, always seemed to struggle when he returned to his home stomping grounds while wearing a Cleveland Indians uniform. When the Tribe defeated Oakland 4-3 today, they finally broke their nine year series losing streak against the Athletics and propelled themselves to a 21-9 record.
I knew they’d be in for a tough series this week, as they were set to face Tyson Ross, Trevor Cahill, and Brett Anderson. In Tuesday’s game, the Indians were able to get to Brian Fuentes late, while they fell to the Athletics 3-1 on Wednesday night. Wednesday night’s game started to feel like it was the Cleveland Indians versus David DeJesus after a while, thanks to a couple of mistake pitches by Josh Tomlin.
The Indians needed to find a way to get to Oakland pitching, since the Athletics’ offense is definitely containable right now. (They’re ranked 28 out of 30 Major League teams.) I’m on an excursion to Las Vegas at the moment, so I had to settle for listening to the game over my cellular phone as I drove from Las Vegas to Hoover Dam. I managed to hear up to the point where the Indians pulled into the lead 2-1 on Asdrubal Cabrera’s two-run single. At that point I descended into the bowels of the Hoover Dam to tour the power plant facilities. By the time I emerged and cellular service returned, I figured the game had long since ended.
Much to my surprise, the game was in the 12th inning with the Indians up 4-2. I had already mentally ceded this game to the Athletics; in part due to the fact that I did not expect much from the Indians while in Oakland because of their past record in the city. As much as I’d like to see the Indians win every game, I know they’re going to lose every so often. So I propped my phone on the ledge of the Hoover Dam, leaned against the wall, and listened to the bottom of the 12th. I can’t tell you how many odd stares I got as people walked by (I like to think they were trying to figure out what game I was listening to). The fact that I kept screaming out loud at the game probably didn’t help matters, although I did an admirable job of keeping my language G-rated. It got to the point where I was nervously pacing back and forth on top of the dam, pausing only to shoot a picture every so often. When Hideki Matsui popped out to end the game, I pumped my fist in the air and yelled an emphatic YES! If I thought people were staring at me before…
First, I need to remind myself that it is May and I should calm down. I’m having so much fun watching this team sometimes staying calm is easier said than done. Today’s win marks the seventh time in team history the Indians have started the season 21-9. (I should mention that 1948 was one of those seasons) It’s hard not to have a little fun with them, as a number of people in Nevada learned from me today.
Awesome post, so with you! When we left Capt. Lou Marson on 3rd after a leadoff “triple,” I figured this game was lost – you just can’t blow chances like that. On top of that, I started to worry on a grander level. My friend and I found the need to acronymize R3L2O to summarize our frustration with the Indians’ inability tog et runners home from 3rd with less than 2 outs. To hear it happen brought back all those old memories, and started me worrying that this was that Same Historically Inept Tribe I’d gotten sadly used to.
To be able to pull a game out like this, with a combination of a little timely hitting, some great bullpen work, and a little luck that seems to follow the teams that do great things…maybe this isn’t the Same Historically Inept Tribe. For a while I tried to merely discretely sip the Kool Aid, but then I realized: I didn’t expect to be able to say Cleveland and Playoffs in the same sentence realistically for a long time, so I’m not wasting my opportunities now. We go .500 the rest of the year, we hit 87 wins, and the rest of the Central are digging themselves some deep holes. Yes, it’s May. Yes we’re less than 20% of the way through the season. Yes, if you don’t give your heart away it won’t get broken. But gosh darn it, heartbreak and irrational exuberance is what sports, especially in Cleveland, is about! The sun is finally shining, l;iterally and metaphorically, so let’s enjoy it while it’s here!
—Mike
When I heard about the Marson leadoff triple, I was immediately glad that I missed that taking place live. That’s the kind of thing that makes me want to punch a wall – you mean to tell me you couldn’t even get a sac fly? And I agree, typically when there’s a missed opportunity like that, the other team seems to pounce on it.
And I feel the same way about the Same Historically Inept Tribe. When Perez struggled in the bottom of the 12th, I just had visions of those that came before him…Wickman, Borowski, Wood. Although unlike those guys, he got that 3rd out and held on to a very slim lead.
I figure it’s good to enjoy myself now, just in case things fall apart later in the season. You know, people kept saying “well, it’s only April, they’ll fall apart.” April came and went and they still seem to be holding on. They seem to have a lot of faith in themselves, and these are guys that won championships at lower levels. Granted, AAA and AA aren’t exactly the Major Leagues, but I think that winning attitude comes in handy.