ALDS: Yankees versus Indians (Non-Yankees Fan Version)

Boston Brawler

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Jan 17, 2011
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I'm still pissed Jackson didn't run to first when the celebration started. Would have brought the tying run to the plate.
 

Sad Sam Jones

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May 5, 2017
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Playoff Tito!

I've gotta say, it's damn near impossible to root for a team with a racist caricature on their cap and shirt, regardless of their opponent, but I digress. Just an embarrassing series loss for Cleveland. I would imagine after their huge winning streak, winning 102 games, and having the #1 seed that Cleveland fans were convinced that this was finally their year. This has to be an absolute gut punch, especially considering the opponent, and how overwhelmingly they were favorites (30 out of 30 ESPN "experts" picked Cleveland to win the ALDS, and more than half to win the WS).
As a diehard Tribe fan for over 30 years, I assure you we are never convinced it's our year. We don't get a year. I'm convinced I'll die without it ever being our year. We exist to end 100+ year droughts for other teams, or to make sure fifth-year expansion teams get their year. Still, I was expecting a return trip to the World Series, or at least a respectable showing in the ALCS. This was 1996 all over again, but much worse, because in '96 the 100-loss teams I first fell in love with were still fresh in my memory, and they didn't have all the baggage they've accumulated over the past 20 years.

I followed the team and the games daily, as always, yet it took a while to truly embrace the 2017 regular season, because reaching the ALCS was the bare minimum of expectations after last season and the poor excuse of this division known as the AL Central. That might sound fair weather, but there is nothing else left to accomplish… no "moral victories" to be had. And now it's the same thing for the next calendar year. The Indians have already won the 2018 AL Central… the Twins are the only other team in the division that will even try to win games next year, and they don't have the resources or time to fill half the holes in that godawful pitching staff. So the Indians will once again make us all endure 6 months and 162 games, just to hope they're healthy and playing their best at the end of it, before they invent an all new way to choke in October.

Sorry in advance if I don't respond to replies to this… not sure how much I really want to talk baseball right now. My mood is changing by the minute today between disgust, humiliation, and just not giving a damn.

(As for Chief Wahoo… I'm not sure a long-time Indians fan can discuss him rationally. I'm attached to the Chief, but also well aware of the inherent racism in it. In a perfect world, they'd have won the World Series, and then taken advantage of the situation to retire the Chief… because his demise is coming sooner or later anyway.)

*
 

tims4wins

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Jul 15, 2005
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You feel the same as we would feel if the Sox lost to the Angels in the 2004 ALDS. Most of us would have been done with the Sox
 

jon abbey

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Jul 15, 2005
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Sorry, man. As someone who has never rooted for a NBA (Knicks) or NFL (Air Coryell Chargers, then Jets) champion, I at least have an idea how you feel.
 

Papo The Snow Tiger

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Aug 18, 2010
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As a diehard Tribe fan for over 30 years, I assure you we are never convinced it's our year. We don't get a year. I'm convinced I'll die without it ever being our year. We exist to end 100+ year droughts for other teams, or to make sure fifth-year expansion teams get their year. Still, I was expecting a return trip to the World Series, or at least a respectable showing in the ALCS. This was 1996 all over again, but much worse, because in '96 the 100-loss teams I first fell in love with were still fresh in my memory, and they didn't have all the baggage they've accumulated over the past 20 years.

I followed the team and the games daily, as always, yet it took a while to truly embrace the 2017 regular season, because reaching the ALCS was the bare minimum of expectations after last season and the poor excuse of this division known as the AL Central. That might sound fair weather, but there is nothing else left to accomplish… no "moral victories" to be had. And now it's the same thing for the next calendar year. The Indians have already won the 2018 AL Central… the Twins are the only other team in the division that will even try to win games next year, and they don't have the resources or time to fill half the holes in that godawful pitching staff. So the Indians will once again make us all endure 6 months and 162 games, just to hope they're healthy and playing their best at the end of it, before they invent an all new way to choke in October.

Sorry in advance if I don't respond to replies to this… not sure how much I really want to talk baseball right now. My mood is changing by the minute today between disgust, humiliation, and just not giving a damn.

(As for Chief Wahoo… I'm not sure a long-time Indians fan can discuss him rationally. I'm attached to the Chief, but also well aware of the inherent racism in it. In a perfect world, they'd have won the World Series, and then taken advantage of the situation to retire the Chief… because his demise is coming sooner or later anyway.)

*
Hang with'em Ford. This is exactly how I, and probably every other Red Sox fan, felt in October 2003. But one day when the Tribe eventually does win it all it will be one of the, if not the, happiest moments in your life.
 

Sox and Rocks

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Apr 16, 2013
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I don't think this has been mentioned in this thread, but to me, Tito's biggest mistake was taking out kluber so early in game 5. He was pitching well other than against Didi, and going to the bullpen so early forced him to lengthen every reliever, which caught up to them in the 8th.
 

Murderer's Crow

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Jul 15, 2005
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I don't think this has been mentioned in this thread, but to me, Tito's biggest mistake was taking out kluber so early in game 5. He was pitching well other than against Didi, and going to the bullpen so early forced him to lengthen every reliever, which caught up to them in the 8th.
He explained that decision really well in the postgame. Basically that his outs in the third weren't very good outs and he consistently watched his breaking ball get flatter and flatter from the 1st inning to the 3rd. Saw bad things coming. It made perfect sense and it was his best reliever who gave up the extra runs.
 

Sox and Rocks

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Apr 16, 2013
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He explained that decision really well in the postgame. Basically that his outs in the third weren't very good outs and he consistently watched his breaking ball get flatter and flatter from the 1st inning to the 3rd. Saw bad things coming. It made perfect sense and it was his best reliever who gave up the extra runs.
I hadn't heard this, so thanks, but Allen is not Cleveland's best reliever
 

jon abbey

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Jul 15, 2005
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Allen isn't CLE's best reliever, but Allen did have a career postseason ERA of 0.00 before that game, 13 straight scoreless appearances (18 innings) over the last two postseasons before Gardner got that hit.