I arrived in Cleveland with my mom and grandparents on Oct. 18, the morning of Game 4 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) between the New York Yankees and the Cleveland Guardians. It had been eight years since I last visited Cleveland and witnessed Game 1 and 2 of the ALCS between the Toronto Blue Jays and the team formerly known as the Indians.
After checking into the Wyndham just 20 minutes from Progressive Field, we stopped at the local Denny’s to grab some brunch before eventually returning to our hotel where we rested before heading to downtown Cleveland. The drive to the city was enjoyable, and not nearly as hectic as eight years ago when LeBron James and the Cavaliers were preparing for their home opener the same week as the ALCS.
For dinner, my family and I ate at Heinen’s, one of the same places we went to back in 2016. The architecture inside what appears to just be a grocery store when you walk in is one of the city’s hidden treasures. There are paintings of farmers and settlers, as well as a rotunda with intricate designs above. The store even has a second level where people can eat their food and participate in wine tastings.
As we made our way toward the ballpark, the environment quickly turned from quiet and gray to vibrant and electric. You could see the lights of Progressive Field from half a mile away. Guardians fans filled the local bars and a red sea flooded the streets. When we approached the entrance to the stadium, the sun had set and the temperature had dropped considerably.
The atmosphere inside Progressive was just as incredible as the last time I was there, especially because the Guardians had not been in the ALCS since 2016. Music was being blasted near the main entrance and “terrible towels,” first made famous by the 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers, were being handed out to every Cleveland fan.
By the time we arrived at “section 170, row N,” there was about an hour until game time. The Yankees were finishing up batting practice and fans were slowly filing into their seats. Above the left field bleachers was the jumbotron, which was showing live action from the Dodgers-Mets game in New York, where the Dodgers led the National League Championship Series (NLCS) three games to one. Suddenly, my mom noticed a journalist from Cleveland.com who was interviewing Guardians fans. She got his attention, and before I knew it, my grandfather, an Indians/Guardians fan of 76 years, was being interviewed about what a Cleveland World Series title would mean to him. Watching the glow in my grandfather’s face as he talked about the lifelong dream of witnessing his favorite baseball team win it all, is something I will never forget.
As the anticipation continued to grow, the Guardians finally came out of their dugout. The players started stretching, running, and throwing moments before the National Anthem sounded and “play ball!” was shouted into the brisk air.
The game itself was the best baseball game I have ever attended. What started as a first-inning disaster for the Guardians quickly turned into a spark of momentum, but then right back to disaster as the Yankees took a 6-2 lead in the top of the sixth inning. From that moment on, each inning had a feeling as suspenseful as the one prior. Every walk hit, and run created a roar amongst the crowd that was louder than the next.
At one point, the Guardians tied up the game following an error by the Yankees’ first baseman and Progressive Field exploded in excitement.
Entering the bottom of the ninth, the Guardians were down by two runs. Unfortunately, the Yankees were able to escape with the victory, putting themselves just one win away from another World Series appearance.
It was certainly a discouraging loss for Cleveland, but the memories created from the game were one of a kind. Not only was my family closer to the action than last time, but we were also closer emotionally, connected by the game’s intensity and the passion of the team’s fans.
Emotionally, the loss was a hard pill to swallow. Being with my loved ones during this time, though, was worth everything to me. It is easy to take time for granted when there is an event in front of you that carries the magnitude that playoff baseball does. That did not stop me from enjoying every second I was in Cleveland.
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