Yankees trainer Gene Monahan applies some insect repelent to pitcher Joba Chamberlain during the 2007 ALDS at Jacobs Field. PHOTO CREDIT: AP
The Cleveland Indians clinched a spot in the 2013 Major League Baseball Postseason on Sunday in Minneapolis, marking the team’s first Postseason berth since 2007.
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The Tribe are back in business.
For the first time since 2007, the Cleveland Indians live to see October and will host a one-game wildcard playoff against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night at Progressive Field in front of a capacity crowd of 43,000.
Fireballer Danny Salazar, the Dominican rookie, will take to the mound for the Tribe at approximately 8:07 p.m. (EST). The Rays will hand the ball to right-hander Alex Cobb.
Since 2007, the Indians have undergone a number of significant facelifts.
Names like C.C. Sabathia, Victor Martinez, Travis Hafner, Casey Blake, Joe Borowski, Fausto Carmona, Ryan Garko, Franklin Gutierrez, Kenny Lofton and Trot Nixon have either retired, moved on to other teams, or simply faded into the thin night air, having been replaced by the likes of Justin Masterson, Ubaldo Jiminez, Michael Brantley, Jason Kipnis and matinee idol Nick Swisher. Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, the only holdover from the 2007 team, made his major league debut for the Tribe on August 8, 2007 against the Chicago White Sox.
A big reason why the Indians have won 24 more games than last year is attributable to their new skipper: Terry Francona (`aka `Tito’’) who stormed into town on October 8, 2012 with a highly impressive set of credentials, namely, two World Series rings:, both with the Boston Red Sox. Indian players, during the course of the 2013 campaign, took to their new manager like bees do to honey. In 2007, Eric Wedge managed the Indians. He was fired at the end of the 2009 season.
Even the name of the park has changed. Jacobs Field is now called Progressive Field after its naming rights were purchased by the Progressive Insurance Company after the 2008 season. Die hard Indian fans, though, still refer to it as ``The Jake.''
And the Rays will be glad to notice another mighty big change since the 2007 playoff atmosphere in Cleveland. The ``Biting Midges’’, those annoying bugs who swarmed and bore down on New York Yankee pitcher Joba Chamberlain as if he were a member of an Evil Empire during Game 2 of the 2007 American League Division Series, are believed to be far away from the shores of Lake Erie.
At least everyone hopes so.
Most importantly, the Tribe faithful are hoping their post season in 2013 turns out differently from their previous appearance. In 2007, the American League Central Division champs advanced to the American League Championship Series, only to lose to the Boston Red Sox in seven games.
For many, it’s hard to remember what was going on in Cleveland and the country last year, let alone in 2007, six years ago. So to refresh your memory, I compiled a brief year-in-review, underscoring some of the most pressing issues and major stories of 2007.
The last time the Cleveland Indians clinched a playoff spot (September 23, 2007, in a 6-2 win over the Oakland A’s), the following events took place:
• According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national unemployment rate was 4.6 with 7.2 million Americans unemployed.
• Cleveland Browns kicker Phil Dawson missed a 40-yard field goal on the last play of the game, allowing the Oakland Raiders to hang on to a 26-24 victory, to drop the Browns to 1-2 in the young NFL season.
• The Pittsburgh Steelers under rookie head coach Mike Tomlin thumped the San Francisco 49ers 37-16, giving the Steelers a 3-0 record for the first time since 1992, Bill Cowher's rookie season.
• Brett Favre led the Green Bay Packers to a 31-24 win over the San Diego Chargers, while connecting with wide receiver Greg Jennings for his 420th TD pass of his career, tying Dan Marino's record for the most touchdowns in NFL history.
• Benedictine, the top-ranked team in the Division III state (Ohio) poll, suffered its first loss of the season against undefeated Columbus Watterson on Saturday evening September 22, 2007, in a 31-14 pounding at Bedford's Bearcat Stadium.
• A day before the Tribe clinched a playoff spot, the Ohio State Buckeyes (on September 22, 2007) played their 500th game in Ohio Stadium, improving to 376-104-20 with a 58-7 mauling over Northwestern.
Other notable events in 2007:
• LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. They were ingloriously swept by the San Antonio Spurs in four games.
• Cuyahoga County, including Cleveland and 58 suburbs, posted one of the highest foreclosure rates, with officials expecting the worst yet to come. In 1995, the county had 2,500 foreclosures; in 2006, there were 15,000, due to a weak economy and housing market.
• Rob Chudzinski was in his first year as offensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns under head coach Romeo Crennel.
• In January, addressing a national television audience, President George W. Bush announced a ``surge’’ of an additional 20,000 U.S. troops to suppress the sectarian fighting in Iraq.
• In February, 2007, The Plain Dealer report on plans for Cuyahoga County to spend $200,000 on tracking devices for vans used to transport foster children to meet with their parents. The devices were intended to ensure these vans weren’t used for frivolous ``side trips.’’ In a touch of irony, Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora, quipped: ``"Make sure one of those don't go on my car."
• February 11, 2007, at the 49th annual Grammy Awards, the Dixie Chicks, an American country music band, took home five Grammy’s, including Album of the Year (Taking the Long Way) at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
• March 22, 2007, Elizabeth Edwards announced that her non-curable cancer had returned and that her husband's (John Edwards) quest for the U.S. presidency would go on with her blessing and help. She died of metastatic breast cancer on December 7, 2010.
• April 11, 2007, actor Alec Baldwin, on a voice mail (first disclosed by the website TMZ) called his 11-year-old daughter, Ireland, a "rude, thoughtless little pig,"
• April 15, 2007, Major League Baseball celebrated the 60th anniversary of the debut of Jackie Robinson at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, breaking the color barrier
• April 16, 2007, Seung-Hui Cho, a senior-level undergraduate student at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. went on a rampage, killing 32 people and wounding 17 others.
• May 14, 2007, the price of a postage stamp jumped from 39 cents to 41 cents, while post cards rose from 24 cents to 26 cents.
• June 5, 2007, American heiress and television personality Paris Hilton begins what was supposed to be a 45-day jail term at the Century Regional Detention Facility, an all-female jail in Lynwood, California for alcohol related reckless driving and violating her probation. On June 7th, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, however, citing ``medical considerations’’ signed orders reassigning the socialite to 40 days of home confinement with an electronic monitoring device.
• June 10, 2007: The season finale of the HBO television drama series ``The Sopranos’’ airs and was watched by an estimated 11.9 million viewers in the United States, a 49 percent increase from the previous episode and the show's best ratings for both parts of the sixth season.
• In June, 2007, according to a report from the U.S. Census Bureau, Cleveland, Ohio lost nearly seven percent of its residents from 2000 to 2006, ranking it as America's 40th-largest city, down from 33rd. In 1920, Cleveland was the fifth largest city in the nation. Only New Orleans and Detroit suffered greater population losses. Demographers’ estimate Cleveland’s population will dip below 400,000 in 2015, and below 300,000 by 2033.
• On June 26, 2007, Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio), once a strong supporter of funding the Iraqi war, in a letter to President Bush , calls for "gradually and responsibly reducing our forces" while urging the Iraqi government and its neighbors to assume greater responsibility in stabilizing the region.
• June 29, 2007, the iPhone (which retail for $499 or $599) hit Apple and AT&T stores as hundreds of customers queued up at stores from coast-to-coast.
• July 12, 2007: After 10 years away from the Columbus campus, Ohio State University trustees voted unanimously to reinstate Gordon Gee as president under a seven year contract, which will pay him an annual salary of $775,000, with an additional $225,000 in deferred annual compensation if he stays five years.
• July 21 2007, the seventh and final book, ``Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’’ was released. Deathly Hallows sold a record 8.3 million copies in its first 24 hours in the U.S., while children and adults waited in long lines through the night to snatch the latest installment.
• July 29, 2007, the average price of regular gasoline was $2.66 in Ohio and $2.69 in Greater Cleveland, below the national average of $2.88 a gallon.
• August 7, 2007, Barry Bonds belts his 756th home run, surpassing Hank Aaron's record to become the new home-run king. Bonds historic feat was marred by repeated accusations of steroid use. His home run ball (no. 756) was purchased for $752,467 by fashion designer Marc Ecko, with plans to brand it with an asterisk and donate it to the Baseball Hall of Fame,
• August 10, 2007, the Cleveland Indians paid tribute to Larry Doby, the first African-American to play in the American League at Jacobs Field in Cleveland, Ohio with every member of the Indians wearing Doby's no. 14.
• Former Vice President Al Gore and the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize on October 12, 2007.
• The housing bubble finally burst as defaults (due to predatory lending practices) on subprime mortgages (high and adjustable-interest rate home loans for people who don't qualify for the lowest market rates) rose to an alarming 93 percent from the previous year.
• More than 20 million toys made in China, were recalled for containing lead paint or loose magnets, including products which inflicted third-degree burns on children using a toy oven.
• Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain won the New York City Marathon (November 4, 2007), just nine months after giving birth in a time of 2:23:09.
• December 8, 2007, Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow won the 2007 Heisman Trophy, becoming the first sophomore or freshman recipient of college football's most prestigious award.
- Bill Lucey
[email protected]
September 30, 2013
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Longest Win Streaks Entering Postseason – MLB All-time
SEASON |
TEAM |
GMS |
DATES |
1960 |
New York Yankees |
15 |
SEP-16-1960 - OCT-02-1960 |
1970 |
Baltimore Orioles |
11 |
SEP-20-1970 - OCT-01-1970 |
1971 |
Baltimore Orioles |
11 |
SEP-19-1971 - SEP-29-1971 |
2013 |
Cleveland Indians |
10 |
SEP-19-2013 – SEP-29-2013 |
1974 |
Baltimore Orioles |
9 |
SEP-22-1974 - OCT-02-1974 |
2002 |
San Francisco Giants |
8 |
SEP-20-2002 - SEP-29-2002 |
Source: STATS Inc.
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Cleveland Economic Indicators: 2007 vs. 2012:
• In 2007, there were 14 million visitors to Cuyahoga County.
• In 2012, there were 16.9 million visitors to Cuyahoga County.
• In 2007, tourism generated $6.4 billion in direct and indirect spending.
• In 2011, tourism generated $6.7 billion in direct and indirect spending.
• In 2007, tourism sustained 7.5% of Cuyahoga County’s private sector employment.
• In 2011, tourism sustained 9% of Cuyahoga County’s private sector employment.
Currently, the industry is looking at an unprecedented $2 billion in tourism-related development projects, including revenue from the Horseshoe Casino and $275 million from the Flats Redevelopment project.
Source: Positively Cleveland, formerly the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Cleveland, Inc. and originally the Convention Board of the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce) is the convention and visitor bureau for the Greater Cleveland area.
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