If only baseball everywhere could be as dead as it is in this gritty city. And if only these hardy fans could get what they deserve for years of suffering, a parade instead of another promise.
Almost 4 million fans gladly paid to watch the Indians at Jacobs Field this season, a home season that ended with Game 5 of the World Series Thursday night. The Indians go south now, but not to get warm.
There’s plenty of that here, only you don’t measure passion with a thermometer. Or, with a statistic that gauges how many TV sets in New Mexico are tuned in to the Fall Classic.
The Indians might be in trouble when they go to Miami this weekend. But they won’t be in trouble when they return to Cleveland, win or lose. This city loves the Indians. What’s more, the Indians love this city.
If only Thursday night would have a happy ending. But Orel Hershiser, 39, has been acting his age lately. The Indians presented him a 4-2 lead and he tried to make it work with his guile, which was more reliable than his stuff. But Moises Alou launched a three-run homer, his second this Series against Hershiser, in the sixth inning.
Livan Hernandez, the Marlins’ spectacular rookie, didn’t have much, but Hershiser had a whole lot less. Hernandez outlasted his elder, by plenty, and it was no small accomplishment for the Cuban defector.
The Marlins won the National League championship by batting .199 against the Braves. Through four games of the World Series, the Indians were outhitting the Marlins .340 to .240. Yet, look who’s happy now. Even Jim Leyland, the Marlins’ manager, smiles.
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Before the game, Leyland engaged in a brief Rodney Dangerfield monologue. Only his audience wasn’t laughing about his critique of the critics who have been blasting this Series for its lack of artistic merit.
Certainly, when Leyland says that neither team should apologize for being here, he raises a valid argument. The Marlins advanced via the wild-card route, but they did win 92 games during the regular season, then beat an Atlanta team that won 101. The Indians, meanwhile, upset the two “best” teams in their league, Baltimore and the Yankees.
What Leyland must understand is the industry of baseball leaves itself vulnerable. This marquee event began with that sideswipe by Don Ohlmeyer, a honcho for the participating NBC network. There have been more than a few tedious Super Bowls, but no TV executive would suggest in advance that the game can’t end soon enough.
Then along comes Bud Selig, a caring and decent soul, the pro tem commissioner. He blames the pokey pace of play for late finishes. This is the same Selig who has endorsed radical realignment, in part so more games can be conducted at a reasonable hour, for live and TV audiences.
Yet the World Series is contested when many Americans are, or should be, in bed. But baseball really sleeps when dealing with perceptions. When the Bulls won their fifth title last June, the Finals drew a national rating of 16.8, the second highest in NBA history. Yet, only one World Series ever has underwhelmed that number–in 1989, when there was a 12-day interruption between Games 2 and 3 because of an earthquake.
However, the NBA toots its horn, and generally is hailed as the hot sport. Meanwhile baseball wallows in its self-inflicted sadsack image, searching for remedies to fix problems that have little to do with the sport itself, but a whole lot to do with those mismanaging it.
What’s that old saying about how baseball must be the best game of all if it can survive the people running it? The frightening word there is, if.