2016 World Series from the Eyes of an Indians Fan

JOE SCHNIER ’18
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Being from Cleveland, it has been hard to find joy in supporting teams over my lifetime that, quite frankly, have been so terrible for so long. This year I was lucky enough to see the Cleveland Cavaliers win the NBA Championship and it was an experience I’ll never forget. But when the Indians made it to the World Series, I thought I was going to experience a year that would be truly special.
My favorite sport is and always will be baseball, I grew up taking the train into downtown Cleveland going to the games every summer with my grandfather. This was the first time I saw the Indians in the World Series where I would actually remember it (The Indians were in the World Series in 1995 and 1997). Not only that, but a win would have also meant that Cleveland could have experienced two championships in one year. Additionally, the Browns look like they’re well on their way to a 0-16 season, making even more history – though not positive – in 2016. Unfortunately, this fantasy did not become a reality.
With all this said, even after the incredible heartbreak, I am still proud to say I am a Cleveland sports fan after the year the Indians and Cavaliers had. In addition to that, if there was one team that was going to beat the Indians in the World Series I’m happy that it was the Cubs; 52 years of a championship drought pales in comparison to the 108 years of the Cubs.
Maybe I was greedy asking for two championships in one year. Maybe I just wanted the story to be Cleveland ending its suffering sports history in the most historic way possible. All I know is that even though the Indians lost, Cleveland is at last, after 52 long years, a city of champions, that on its own is enough for the dedicated sports fan. My congratulations goes to the Chicago Cubs who truly deserved their drought to end, especially in an epic and unforgettable seven game series, arguably the most historic series in the history of baseball.
Even after defeat, and now the current holder of the longest drought in the MLB at 68 years, I somehow still have hope that one day I will get to see just one World Series title return to Cleveland. But until that day, all I can tell myself is what I’ve been saying my entire life; “there’s always next year.”