Cleveland 28-29 June

Progressive field? Not if you ask the fans. This is "The Jake." We saw dozens of fans with t-shirts that registered their dismay witht he name change (in no uncertain terms). But "The Jake" is a nice stadium in a so-so part of town, with a hapless team. We were there as the rumors of the Sabathia trade came to a head. He was traded the day of the second game that we watched. The fans were no so much mad as resigned to their fate--finishing below KC. Getting to the park is easy and there is an indoor walkway that takes you from the mall to the park.
There is so much history with this team that Heritage park is well worth the trip. Like many of the older teams (i.e. not the Nationals or Blue Jays) there is a sense of past greatness. Unfortunately, there is also a sense that like this part of Ohio, it has seen better days and a revival is required.
We attended one of the games with Kate's cousin Ginny and her husband Galen. Pictured in front of the statue of Bob Feller, they were our personal guides around Cleveland--something that we really appreciated.
In Heritage Park there are many celebrated Indians players, but maybe the most notable is Larry Doby, the first Black player in the American League. He broke into the Majors shortly after Jackie Robinson, was every bit as good, but never seemed to get the credit he deserved.
One of the games that we attended was the "birthday" of the Indians mascot, so alll of the mascots from all of the other American League teams attended for a bit of a publicity stunt. The games that we saw were with Cincinnati and they were billed as the battle of Ohio. As seemed to befit Cleveland, Cincinnati won both games, adding insult to injury.



Before leaving the area, we had the opportunity to visit Cuyahoga Falls and have dinner with Ginny in a beautiful restaurant overlooking the Falls. The food was great, the view excellent, and the company better. We only regretted that Galen could not come because of another commitment.

As for the rankings, it goes:

• Baltimore
• Toronto
• Cleveland
• Washington
• Boston