This thread is kinda funny.
Indians fans are fine. As a matter of fact, they are probably a little better than most other fans. The reason I say this is because;
1.) There's really no reason that, when you consider the sucess the team had from the late 50's to the early 90's, cleveland should have even HAD a team come 94. You think putting 5000 or so people in a 80 year old stadium (NOT ballpark. Municipal stadium, as much as I love the place to death, was one of the worst places to watch a baseball game ever) to watch a team that hasn't been good in 40 years is easy? Sure you can do it in a place like wrigley that's one of the most history and tradition rich parks in the country, but doing it in a place like the muni is respectable.
2.) I distinctly remember crowds of 40-60k for opening day throughout the 80's when the team was at it's most putrid. Just because they couldn't sell out an 80,000 seat stadium for openers means nothing. (this was alluded to in a post on the first page, and when I read it I felt like it was a direct challange to my manhood.) So even though the crowds were pretty bad in august when the team was 30 games out, they still could put people in the stands on occassion.
3.) In fact, when they were closing down the muni before they opened the jake, they got 50k+ in the seats for every game of the series against the white sox, including a SELLOUT (That's 80 fucking thousand people) in the last game.
Don't try to tell me that cleveland fans are bandwagon fans. They went and supported a losing franchise for 40 years, and then ponied up for a new stadium while the local economy was going into the shitter. Sure we may not be the "best" fans in baseball but I'll stack baseball fans in the cleveland area up with fans from anywhere in the country in a heartbeat.
Really, i don't even think the crowds now are all that bad. It's been mentioned previously, but crowds now are more corporate ... the same way they are in every place with a newer stadium across the country. Now that schools out and summer is starting, look for better and better crowds as the tribe climbs up the standings.
If the indians are in the hunt come september, I promise you at least 30k every night.
Cmon tribe, win one tonight and avoid the sweep.
at the end, more just kidding with ya. I know the yanks beat them earlier in the year, but I did know they had a losing record due to Tampa sweeping them a month or so ago.
