Cleveland and the Indians Ready and Willing to Hold Title Parade Again

The Cleveland Indian players watched the championship parade of the Cavaliers this week because they tried to determine how they would get to their home field.

Terry Francona the Indians manager watched fans gather for the Cavaliers title parade, saying they arrived in droves throughout the streets below the upper deck of Progressive Field.

Last June, the players for Cleveland watched the city celebrate its first championship of a major sports team in 52 years. Fast forward, only four months and the Indians are standing at the doorstep of winning the World Series and ending a franchise drought of 68 years in the process.

The situation in certain ways is ideal. Cleveland returns home where they had the second best record of any home team during the regular season with a lead of 3-2 over the Chicago Cubs.

Putting an exclamation point on their magical run in front of a home crowd would be an excellent end to the season.

However, Chicago presents a big challenge to that ending and will send Jake Arrieta on Tuesday and Kyle Hendricks if necessary on Wednesday in hopes of winning its first World Series in 108 year.

The Indians readily admit they did not expect to win in a four-game sweep over the Cubs. Cleveland second baseman Jason Kipnis, who was raised in Chicago as a Cubs fans, called the World Series tough. The Indians he said are playing against a team that won 103 regular season games, which means they are very good.

Cleveland won the American League Central on the road at Comerica Park against the White Sox. When they won the AL Division series, it was at Fenway Park against Boston. The AL Pennant came on the road in Toronto at Rogers Centre.

It is fitting that if they win the Fall Classic by winning one of the two remaining games, it will be at home at Progressive Field.

Chicago will have something to say about that as Arrieta who won last year’s Cy Young starts on the mound Tuesday in Game 6.

He and Game 7 starter Kyle Hendricks combined this season to go 34-16 with a combined ERA of 2.63. The two have yielded only 1 run in a combined 10 innings in the World Series.

The series is far from over, but the Indians players and fans are both ready to hold another title parade and the sooner the better.