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Feb 22 '18
CLEVELAND -- John Hart is remembered fondly by Cleveland Indians fans as the man behind the most sustained run of excellence in franchise history. Nike Roshe Black And White . He built and maintained rosters that won six of seven American League Central titles from 1995 through 2001. During that stretch, the Tribe captured two pennants, established Jacobs Field as Major League Baseballs in venue and stood side by side with the Atlanta Braves as one of baseballs crown jewels.Hart moved on to the Texas Rangers 15 years ago and currently works as president of baseball operations in Atlanta, but the old Cleveland ties die hard. While he would prefer to remain a bystander when the Indians and Chicago Cubs meet in the 2016 World Series, sentiment precludes impartiality.My heart is still in Cleveland, Hart told ESPN.com. It always has been. I love it. It was the greatest time of my life, my wifes life and our familys life. The fans embraced us. It was just a great spot. We were young and we all believed.I want Cleveland to win so bad. You can say long-suffering. The Cubs are the leaders in long-suffering. But Cleveland got hit with the recession. Its been sort of an up-and-down roller coaster economically for the city, but its a great town and a loyal town. I love Theo Epstein and the Cubs story, but with every ounce of my body, Im pulling for the Indians.As the Indians prepare for their first World Series appearance in 19 years -- and try to win their first title since 1948 -- theyve been relegated to a sidebar in the Cubs-related national media storm. While Bill Murray was crashing a White House news conference in Cubs garb and Pearl Jam front man Eddie Vedder was keeping score at the National League Championship Series clincher from Theo Epsteins private box, the Indians were beating Toronto in games that started at 4 p.m. ET because they werent deemed prime-time worthy.As Cleveland second baseman Jason Kipnis observed after the American League Championship Series clincher, No one picked us in the last two series, and Ive got news for you: No one is picking us in the next series, either.Against that backdrop, its only natural to wonder: Can this unheralded and largely overlooked Cleveland club treat Indians fans to the parade they missed when the 1995 and 1997 clubs fell agonizingly short in the World Series? Can this team redeem the juggernaut Cleveland teams that failed to get over the top against the Braves and Florida Marlins?To dispel one misperception, the 2016 Indians are a better, more complete team than their low profile suggests. They finished second in the American League with 777 runs scored and fourth in the majors with 36 defensive runs saved. They are a fundamentally sound club with a budding franchise player in shortstop Francisco Lindor, a perennial Cy Young Award candidate in Corey Kluber and a shutdown bullpen led by Andrew Miller and Cody Allen.But the Indians biggest distinguishing characteristic this season has been their ability to overcome setbacks. They lost outfielder Michael Brantley, their best all-around player, to a shoulder injury after 11 games and 39 at-bats. They were always perceived as a dangerous team because of their rotation, but the pitching took a seemingly insurmountable hit in September when starters Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar went down with injuries in the span of a week. Until recently, no one could have envisioned rookie Ryan Merritt making the postseason roster, much less throwing 4 1/3 innings of shutout ball in the pennant clincher against Toronto.The Indians batted .208 as a team and averaged 3.4 runs per game while winning seven of eight games against Boston and Toronto in the American League playoffs. Its a distinctly different Indians club than the offensive dynamos built by Hart and managed by Mike Hargrove and Charlie Manuel in the 1990s and early 2000s.? The 1995 Cleveland team went 100-44 in a season that began three weeks late because of a player strike. The batting order consisted of Kenny Lofton, Omar Vizquel, Carlos Baerga, Eddie Murray, Albert Belle, Jim Thome and Manny Ramirez (or Ramirez then Thome if a left-hander was pitching), Paul Sorrento and Sandy Alomar Jr. But that mind-numbing array of talent fell short against Tom Glavine and the Braves in the World Series.? The 1997 Indians were a disappointing 86-75 during the regular season, but they still ranked third in the AL in runs thanks to 131 combined home runs from Thome, Ramirez, Matt Williams and David Justice. After knocking off the Yankees and Orioles in the playoffs, the Indians came within a Jose Mesa blown save of beating the Marlins in a seven-game World Series.? The 1999 Indians were the first MLB team in 49 years to surpass 1,000 runs during the regular season. They were shut out only three times all year, and Ramirezs 165 RBIs were the most since Jimmie Foxx drove in 175 in 1938. But they imploded after taking a 2-0 lead over Boston in the division series and were outscored 44-18 while dropping the final three games.Beyond their offensive firepower, the old Cleveland teams played with an attitude and an edge. Hart recalls showing up at the World Series in 1995 and being bombarded with Hannah Storm questions after the perpetually irascible Belle lashed out at the then NBC reporter in the dugout. While Belles teammates conducted themselves more professionally, they didnt lack for confidence.Those teams in the 90s knew they were good, they were happy to tell you they were good, and then they went out and showed you they were good, said Tom Hamilton, Clevelands radio voice since 1990.They were almost like the bullies of the American League, and Cleveland adored that, because people were so used to being made fun of. Now, for the first time in 40 years, they could puff their chests out and say, Yeah, lets see what you got. A lot of times, those games literally seemed over before they started. Opposing teams were intimidated, and if they werent, it was 6-0 by the end of the first inning.This team is not that talent level, but the resiliency of this ballclub is unlike anything Ive seen in my 27 years. The beauty of this club is, theyre just as confident as those teams were. You can tell them, You cant overcome all these injuries, and theyre like, Really? Watch.The Cleveland teams of the 1990s struck a chord with the fan base through a perfect storm of circumstances. Jacobs Field debuted at the forefront of a whole new wave of retro ballparks. Clevelands economy and downtown were making a comeback in the mid-1990s, and the Indians had the landscape largely to themselves when the NFLs Browns relocated to Baltimore in 1995. The Indians set a major league record with 455 straight sellouts from 1995 through 2001, and it stood until the Red Sox passed it in 2008 and sold out 820 games in a row.Although the 2016 Indians registered strong TV ratings and generally drew well on the weekends, they bombed at the gate during the regular season. The Indians finished 28th in the majors in attendance with 1.59 million fans. Only the Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays fared worse.Hamilton theorizes that the city was in the throes of a Cavaliers hangover after LeBron James and friends ended Clevelands 52-year title drought in June. But even when fans began to take notice of the Indians, they were the kind of team that was best appreciated over time.It took a while for people to buy into this team, Hamilton said. Maybe its because its not loaded with the star-power names that the other teams here had. And after youve done something once, you cant recapture that feeling.To this day, when I introduce our club on Opening Day or in the playoffs, the guy who gets the biggest cheer is Sandy Alomar. Thats how much those teams in the 90s meant to Cleveland. I think those teams and the ballpark helped changed the image nationally of Cleveland. The city was no longer the late-night [TV comedy] joke. It was the first time perception changed and gave Cleveland something to be proud of.Alomar, Clevelands first-base coach and a six-time All-Star catcher with the Indians during the 1990s, is one of the most prominent links to the franchises glory years. He sees a competitive will in this years roster that makes the Indians an eminently likable team once people get to know them.Theyre very coachable, Alomar said. Theyre a fun group. Nobody has an ego. Its the perfect team to coach, because everybody is buying into what we bring to the table.If the Indians can go the distance and bring the city its first World Series victory in 68 years, theyll write the ultimate happy ending in Cleveland. But theyve already done some something special: With their inspirational run through October, theyve given baseball fans in the city a reason to believe again. Nike Roshe Two Flyknit Black . -- When the Florida Panthers fell behind by two goals in the first period to the top team in the NHL, it appeared they were on their way to yet another loss. Roshe Two Womens . Two pressure cooker bombs exploded near the finish line of the April 15 race in an area packed with fans cheering the passing runners. Three people were killed and more than 260 injured, including at least 16 who lost limbs. http:///...o-flyknit-cheap.html . Batiste, who briefly signed with the Eskimos in 2006, has spent time with several NFL teams including the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins. MILAN -- Who needs Gonzalo Higuain, the record goalscorer in Serie A, when you have Dries Mertens?Mertens emergence has eased the pain caused by Higuains departure in the off-season. Not content with bagging a hat trick last weekend, the diminutive forward netted four on Sunday to help Napoli to a 5-3 win over Torino.Mertens completed a hat trick in nine first-half minutes and then saved the best until last -- a sublime chip into the far corner in the 80th minute.Mertens is an extraordinary player, but the team makes it easier for him with the type of football they are playing, Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri said. But we have to grow mentally. It should have been a match that was definitively over once we went 3-0 up and it wasnt.We conceded goals with three stupid mistakes, carelessness that we absolutely cant commit, but it was a very high level performance.Napoli leapfrogged above AC Milan into third, a point behind second-place Roma. It can be joined on 34 points by Lazio if the capital team beats Fiorentina later.Higuain transferred to Juventus for an Italian-record 90 million euros ($100 million) after breaking a 66-year-old Serie A record with 36 goals for Napoli last season.Arkadiusz Milik was signed to replace him and scored seven goals in eight matches, but tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while playing for Poland in October.As a result, Sarri has been relying on a three-man forward line with Lorenzo Insigne and Jose Callejon flanking Mertens -- and the trio is starting to gel.Napoli opened the scoring in the 13th minute. It had taken short corners many times this season but to little dividend. However, this time it worked as it was played for Callejon, who crossed for Mertens to fire in on the bounce.Mertens doubled his tally five minutes later, winning and converting a penalty after being pushed over by Antonio Barreca.The 29-year-old forward completed his second successive hat trick in the 22nd minute.Torino goalkeeper Joe Hart did brilliantly to keep out a powerful shot by Callejon, only for Mertens to fire in the loose ball at the second attempt after his initial effort was cleared off the line by Luca Rossettini.Andrea Belotti got Torino back into the game shortly before the hour. It was the Italy forwards 12th league goal of the season and moved him level with Inter Milan forward Mauro Icardi and Romas Edin Dzeko at the top of the scoring charts.Napoli restored its three-goal advantage in the 70th when Callejon rolled a low cross across face of goal and Vlad Chiriches tapped it in at the far post.Torino again reduced the deficit when Pepe Reina spilled Adem Ljajics free kick and Rossettini was on hand to prod it in. But Mertens scored his fourth four minutes later.Iago Falque converted a penalty in the 84th for Toorino. Nike Roshe Two. ---LAZIO 2, FIORENTINA 1Lazio continued its good run of form as it moved level on points with Napoli in third place, while Fiorentina fell to its second successive defeat.Lazio took the lead in the 23rd minute with a well-worked move. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic collected Felipe Andersons through-ball before passing it on for Keita Balde Diao to sweep into the far corner of the net.Lucas Biglia doubled Lazios lead with a penalty in first-half stoppage time after Nenad Tomovic bundled over Milinkovic-Savic.Fiorentina should have got back into the match immediately after halftime but Lazio goalkeeper Federico Marchetti saved Josip Ilicics penalty after Biglia had fouled Sebastian Cristoforo.It did pull one back in the 64th minute through substitute Mauro Zarate, who had only been on the pitch a few minutes.Fiorentina thought it had leveled seven minutes from time but the goal was ruled out for handball and any thoughts it had of snatching a point evaporated when Stefan Radu sealed the result.Fiorentina slipped to eighth and faces Napoli on Thursday in its final match before the winter break. Lazio visits Inter Milan on Wednesday.---GENOA 3, PALERMO 4Palermo remarkably fought back from two goals down in the second half to end a run of eight successive defeats.Robin Quaisons brilliant solo goal for Palermo canceled out Giovanni Simeones opener to leave it all even at the break.Simeone, the son of Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone, headed in a second and also set up Genoas third for Nikola Ninkovic in the 65th.But Edoardo Goldaniga pulled one back for Palermo four minutes later and Andrea Rispoli leveled two minutes from time. Genoa players were furious as Rispoli appeared to be offside.Genoa pushed forward for the winner but it was Palermo that snatched all three points as Aleksandar Trajkovski finished off a counter attack.Genoa goalkeeper Mattia Perin was sent off for pushing Ilija Nestorovski over when the forward tried to delay a free kick in stoppage time, completing a miserable night for the hosts.---OTHER MATCHESInter Milan is finding its feet under new coach Stefano Pioli and won 1-0 at Sassuolo for its fourth win in five matches -- between Serie A and Europa League.Antonio Candreva scored the only goal of the match two minutes into the second half. Inter midfielder Felipe Melo was sent off in stoppage time for a second bookable offence.Bologna ended its goalscoring drought by winning 3-0 at 10-man Pescara, which played with 10 men for an hour after Valerio Verre was sent off for a dangerous tackle.Elsewhere, Chievo Verona beat Sampdoria 2-1 and Cyril Thereau scored twice as Udinese beat Crotone 2-0. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ChinaCheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
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