^ I was thinking the same thing. Now I am not up in Cleveland anymore but I was there in 97 and it was just a brutal time. Of course part of It was that the 97 team was as dominant as anyone and if they could not win then, they were going to win in the near future. This years team seems like they caught magic in a bottle and overachieved and people recognized that.

 

 

 

The '97 team was good but the truly dominant team in recent memory was the '95 Indians who went 100-44. A full 162 game schedule and that team would have won 110+.

After the Indians run in the 90's was over and the emergence of the Yankees, Red Sox, and other huge payroll teams, I became so frustrated with the lack of parity in baseball that I lost a lot of love for the game.  I was a total bandwagon hopper this year, not really becoming familiar with the team until they were well on their way to winning the Red Sox series.  I'm looking forward to next season.  I may have rediscovered my enjoyment of watching baseball as a kid.  It will probably never eclipse basketball or football for me, but it's definitely back on my radar.

^ I was thinking the same thing. Now I am not up in Cleveland anymore but I was there in 97 and it was just a brutal time. Of course part of It was that the 97 team was as dominant as anyone and if they could not win then, they were going to win in the near future. This years team seems like they caught magic in a bottle and overachieved and people recognized that.

 

 

 

The '97 team was good but the truly dominant team in recent memory was the '95 Indians who went 100-44. A full 162 game schedule and that team would have won 110+.

 

That 95 team was dominant at least on offense. The pitching was solid but not outstanding but it did not have to be because they had so many bats, no lead was safe. I cant remember how many times they came from behind in the 9th to win on a walk off homer from Belle, Thome, Sorrento, Baerga, etc. Heck anyone but Loftin and Vizquel were long ball threats on that team, and that was one of the last years before everyone started juicing.

The 1997 Indians only had 86 wins that year and were considered to have overachieved. This year we won 94 games and won the division, but as the injuries piled up it made it seem like they were playing above expectations.

Also, totally agree on the City feeling upbeat despite the loss, and I'd say it's 99% due to the Cavs winning the championship in June, 1% the fact that the Indians overacheived. If the Cavs lost AND the Indians blew a 3-1 lead in the World Series the City would be devastated.

The 1995 Indians led the AL in ERA, and had a lights out bullpen.

I think that's really just as of the last few years, not a constant.  I bet attendance next year will be significantly higher.

 

They've been in the bottom 10 (out of 30) for 15 14 [i counted wrong] straight seasons now, many of those in the bottom 5. That includes several competitive teams, including one World Series entrant and one ALCS entrant. Next year, it's still going to be near the bottom, and probably still lower than comparable markets like Milwaukee, Cinci, and Pittsburgh, despite those teams' lack of success this year. For an established team with a nice stadium, the Tribe's attendance woes are sui generis, apart from normal baseball-wide trends. I'm not complaining, just making clear how bad it's really been.

 

[Edited for typos]

Man, this sucks. I guess I'm going to have to be the one to say it. Screw "good sportsmanship." Cleveland was on a winning streak and we deserved it! The Cavs won the championship and then the Indians made it to the World Series and then (in typical Cleveland fashion it was painfully dragged out) until the Indians finally blew it in game 7. I understand that it's still quite an accomplishment to be American League champions but it just would have been perfect for Cleveland to be World Series Champions. I suppose in all fairness, the Browns will always be garbage so it's not as if Cleveland will have some sort of perfect year. Still, would have been nice. Chicago has enough going for it, d@mnit. Who cares about the curse of the billy goat? I'm not happy for them at all. F-ck Chicago, seriously. We needed the recognition and positive energy much more than them. The fans and even players, looked like a bunch of dumbss[/member] fratboys on TV after they won, btw.

 

Are there any Back to the Future nerds on here? I was thinking about this but didn't think much of it until I noticed it was also trending on Facebook with Michael J. Fox making a statement about the Cubbies winning. "Congrats. Only a year off." In Back to the Future 2, when Marty and Doc go to the future (2015,) the Cubbies win the World Series. In the movie, it's funny and ironic because it's been over a century since that has happened before and due to the curse, people obviously don't expect it to happen again. It was just one of those shocking things they discover after going to the future.

After the Indians run in the 90's was over and the emergence of the Yankees, Red Sox, and other huge payroll teams, I became so frustrated with the lack of parity in baseball that I lost a lot of love for the game.  I was a total bandwagon hopper this year, not really becoming familiar with the team until they were well on their way to winning the Red Sox series.  I'm looking forward to next season.  I may have rediscovered my enjoyment of watching baseball as a kid.  It will probably never eclipse basketball or football for me, but it's definitely back on my radar.

 

Ditto for me.  I didn't watch a single inning of the regular season.  For me, the Indians were the first pro team I followed (via my parents allegiances).  I cried when I didn't get to go to the '95 series (school night was the excuse - what a joke lol) and then two years later, still in school, I was old enough to go to the 14-11 game.  Also got to see Sandy Alomar win the ASG MVP that year.  Baseball was really the first sport I played (two non-athletic seasons of soccer notwithstanding) and the Indians were my first professional sports team to follow and love.  That started to dissipate in the early 2000's as basically the entire '90s teams outside of Omar signed bigger contracts or got traded.  I got more involved with other sports and music and I didn't have the time once I jot a job to follow the regular seasons in the summer.  Games became boring to me on TV - they probably still are in the regular season if I'm being honest.  I paid enough attention in '07 and was of course crushed when they blew a 3-1 lead (damn these 3-1 leads!!).

 

I saw most of the big market teams dominating, complaining that Cleveland could never sign these $100m+ deals and would always lose guys like Ramirez, CC, Lee, etc.  That may still be true, who knows.  But I think they've got a window now.  They have a lot of young talent locked in for the next 2-3 years.  They'll need to spend on Napoli or find a replacement for him.  They *should* get Brantley back which will help the outfield out.  They need to figure out Bauer or if Merritt can take his spot in the rotation.

 

This feels a bit like the Cavs from '15 to '16.  They made a couple moves that altered their identity, got to the Finals, but ultimately injuries derailed their efforts.  With Carasco, Brantley, and Salazar healthy next season, I could see them getting back - just like the Cavs did with Kyrie and K Love.  Also...the Royals lost in 2014 by a run at home in game 7, but rebounded to take the WS last season.  Sometimes, it takes losing in that final game to fuel you through the next season.  The Cavs did it last year.  Before them, the Spurs used the Finals as motivation to beat the Heat the following year.  LeBron lost to the Mavs with the Heat and then came back the following year.

 

It hurts because you just never know how many times you'll get to play in a World Series.  It took the franchise 19 years to get back.  I'll definitely be watching more next season and a buddy and I are even talking about splitting a quarter-season pack (it's hard being 2 hours away to commit to that many games, though).

^ I'm actually considering the same ticket package, and I'm not even in Ohio most of the time!

 

I really enjoyed watching the team play this season because the good chemistry was so apparent. And each night anyone on the roster could step up and make an amazing play. So under the radar! I'd take in the games at the bar and nobody seemed to take much interest.

 

Then this happened.

 

 

I swear that was a defining moment in the season.

 

Anyhow next year I'm banking on another memorable season (with great attendance!) because these players and this manager are something special.

My pain is fading... but I still can't watch anything from the game, especially the Davis homer.  That hurts... oh what could've been!  But I think next year is going to be one great season as well, and judging by what I am hearing from people, the attendance problem should finally be much improved.  I think Clevelanders are really excited to watch this team try this again and now this has become a team that we feel like we have come to know so well.  I think things are going to be very different.  It's going to be very interesting to see what happens, I am already counting down to opening day.  Didn't realize how much I'd miss baseball until it was over!

^^Pretty funny you say that. I'm really not a baseball fan anymore due to the salary imbalance. I was at a wine bar and the game was on in front of me and that play happened and the place went nuts. I felt that was a special event as well and it looked to me that was a sign that they would get to the post season and do fairly well, which they did.  I ended up watching most of the games in the world series.  I thought Naquin would be more effective in the playoffs since he came through there.  Maybe it was just a total fluke.

attendance should go up, for sure.  Dont expect top 10 numbers though.  it takes a while to build back up completely.  The fact is, as long as Francona is managing, the indians will likely be playing winning baseball.  If he can get them to the playoffs, he is certainly the guy that can get them over the top.  Getting there is just so hard, though.  Just ask Kansas City, who was in the world series the previous two years.  Nothing is guaranteed.  They absolutely need Naquin and Zimmer to develop into mashers.  The Cubs will be around for a while, if the tribe is going to get past them, they will have improved pitching, which we already have, but we will need to hit more as well.  Face it, the last three games of that series, none of us knew if a run was going to come or not. 

 

The keys here are:  keep Francona for the rest of his career.  Do not let our young guys hit free agency.  We have alot of control over these guys, but its time to start having "lifers" in our organization.  The cavs are doing a good job of that, the tribe needs to as well.  Lindor should never ever be anywhere near Free agency.

attendance should go up, for sure.  Dont expect top 10 numbers though.  it takes a while to build back up completely.  The fact is, as long as Francona is managing, the indians will likely be playing winning baseball.  If he can get them to the playoffs, he is certainly the guy that can get them over the top.  Getting there is just so hard, though.  Just ask Kansas City, who was in the world series the previous two years.  Nothing is guaranteed.  They absolutely need Naquin and Zimmer to develop into mashers.  The Cubs will be around for a while, if the tribe is going to get past them, they will have improved pitching, which we already have, but we will need to hit more as well.  Face it, the last three games of that series, none of us knew if a run was going to come or not. 

 

The keys here are:  keep Francona for the rest of his career.  Do not let our young guys hit free agency.  We have alot of control over these guys, but its time to start having "lifers" in our organization.  The cavs are doing a good job of that, the tribe needs to as well.  Lindor should never ever be anywhere near Free agency.

 

I think it would take 81 sellouts to get Cleveland back to Top 10 status, especially now that Progressive seats less. It would be nice not be 30 out of 32 though.

 

I believe they were 24th in 2008 after the 07 ALCS. Of course that 08 team collapsed and attendance went right down with it. They need two or three competitive seasons to get the season ticket base large enough so that you don't have 9000 people attending in late April.

 

Got to believe the more losses the Browns pile up it's more likely people may switch over to the Tribe as well.

attendance should go up, for sure.  Dont expect top 10 numbers though.  it takes a while to build back up completely.  The fact is, as long as Francona is managing, the indians will likely be playing winning baseball.  If he can get them to the playoffs, he is certainly the guy that can get them over the top.  Getting there is just so hard, though.  Just ask Kansas City, who was in the world series the previous two years.  Nothing is guaranteed.  They absolutely need Naquin and Zimmer to develop into mashers.  The Cubs will be around for a while, if the tribe is going to get past them, they will have improved pitching, which we already have, but we will need to hit more as well.  Face it, the last three games of that series, none of us knew if a run was going to come or not. 

 

The keys here are:  keep Francona for the rest of his career.  Do not let our young guys hit free agency.  We have alot of control over these guys, but its time to start having "lifers" in our organization.  The cavs are doing a good job of that, the tribe needs to as well.  Lindor should never ever be anywhere near Free agency.

 

I think it would take 81 sellouts to get Cleveland back to Top 10 status, especially now that Progressive seats less. It would be nice not be 30 out of 32 though.

 

I believe they were 24th in 2008 after the 07 ALCS. Of course that 08 team collapsed and attendance went right down with it. They need two or three competitive seasons to get the season ticket base large enough so that you don't have 9000 people attending in late April.

 

Got to believe the more losses the Browns pile up it's more likely people may switch over to the Tribe as well.

 

I think as Lindor develops, he will be must see and will sell tickets on his own.  Im really hopeful he is here a very long time

attendance should go up, for sure.  Dont expect top 10 numbers though.  it takes a while to build back up completely.  The fact is, as long as Francona is managing, the indians will likely be playing winning baseball.  If he can get them to the playoffs, he is certainly the guy that can get them over the top.  Getting there is just so hard, though.  Just ask Kansas City, who was in the world series the previous two years.  Nothing is guaranteed.  They absolutely need Naquin and Zimmer to develop into mashers.  The Cubs will be around for a while, if the tribe is going to get past them, they will have improved pitching, which we already have, but we will need to hit more as well.  Face it, the last three games of that series, none of us knew if a run was going to come or not. 

 

The keys here are:  keep Francona for the rest of his career.  Do not let our young guys hit free agency.  We have alot of control over these guys, but its time to start having "lifers" in our organization.  The cavs are doing a good job of that, the tribe needs to as well.  Lindor should never ever be anywhere near Free agency.

 

I think it would take 81 sellouts to get Cleveland back to Top 10 status, especially now that Progressive seats less. It would be nice not be 30 out of 32 though.

 

I believe they were 24th in 2008 after the 07 ALCS. Of course that 08 team collapsed and attendance went right down with it. They need two or three competitive seasons to get the season ticket base large enough so that you don't have 9000 people attending in late April.

 

Got to believe the more losses the Browns pile up it's more likely people may switch over to the Tribe as well.

 

I think as Lindor develops, he will be must see and will sell tickets on his own.  Im really hopeful he is here a very long time

 

Lindor is under their control through 2021. 

Next year, it's still going to be near the bottom, and probably still lower than comparable markets like Milwaukee, Cinci, and Pittsburgh, despite those teams' lack of success this year.

 

I don't know that you can say that Milwaukee and Cincy are comparable markets.  Both cities only have two major sport franchises.  When the Browns were gone, the Indians attendance went up.  Certainly that had a lot to do with the success of the team, new ballpark, etc, but also the corporate ticket buys were a factor.

 

Pittsburgh experienced a rise in attendance when its new park was built, but then lagged back down close to our levels until the team got good.  I think their pattern of attendance over the past five years, rising steadily from 1.6m to 2.4m is within our reach now that the team has re-energized the fan base.

 

Indians fans may finally have gotten over the year after year soap opera of developing great talent, watching it rise to stardom, and then signing as a free agent for $1gazillion dollars with some major market team (or trading that talent away before the year before becoming a free agent).  I really believe that caused a lot of this recent disinterest.  It certainly did for me.

^First, Cincy is a baseball town first and foremost...so thats like St. Louis having good attendance.  Pittsburgh is currently in the "hot ticket" phase for the pirates.  They have a nice little run of success, with a new ballpark and a good identity.  I suspect they will begin the downswing in the near future if they cant sustain any type of success.  Milwaukee, agree with Hts.  That aint a Bucks town...and they arent doing much all summer.  They have an identity...brats, beers, mustaches.  Its a fun brand to get behind.  Its just different from city to city what people relate to and  want to get behind.  For cleveland, it remains the browns (although watching that game vs the Jets the other day makes me believe the disinterest is actually coming to a head. As we continue to grow our urban areas, it will likely be easier also to get to those weeknight games for more people

Its just different from city to city what people relate to and  want to get behind. 

 

Yes, that's my main point. Whether it's fan interest in the sport, competition from other-sport teams (which I doubt matters as much as Hts assumes), or any other reason, Cleveland is different. Different in ways that market size and team success can't explain. Which is why I'm not counting on the team's success to take it out of the bottom rung of league ticket sellers next year.  As a fan, it would be nice for the front office to have a little more revenue to play with, but the main reason I care is that it makes going to games so much less fun.

 

[edited for typos]

St. Louis is a another example. It's a great baseball town, but never really supported the Rams even though the Rams were really successful in the early 2000s.

The Cubs have come back.  I never play Debbie Downer, but the Indians have blown it. Cubs win series 4-3.

 

I called it and you all should have listened!  I'm sorry we lost but we had a fantastic season and there is no need for any Indian player, Indian fan or NEOhioian to be sad.

 

This was a great series, the best of the century and our city should reap the benefits of all this new found "popularity".

 

I look forward for February Spring Training and Opening day 2017!

 

Heads high kids.  Keep it classy we have no reason to be ashamed.

Its just different from city to city what people relate to and  want to get behind. 

 

Yes, that's my main point. Whether it's fan interest in the sport, competition from other-sport teams (which I doubt matters as much as Hts assumes), or any other reason, Cleveland is different. Different in ways that market size and team success can't explain. Which is why I'm not counting on the team's success to take it out of the bottom rung of league ticket sellers next year.  As a fan, it would be nice for the front office to have a little more revenue to play with, but the main reason I care is that it makes going to games so much less fun.

 

[edited for typos]

 

That is because Cleveland is "Browns Town".  The Browns will always be the areas top sports draw.

 

Despite the loss, Cleveland looked fantastic during game 7

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nothing to do with the World Series but did anyone notice the new accent lighting on the Leader building?