CLEVELAND, Ohio – What a difference two hours makes.
The time for the Detroit Tigers-Cleveland Guardians Game 3 was shifted from 1:08 p.m. to 3:08 p.m. based on the number of remaining – deciding – Game 3s. When the Los Angeles Dodgers eliminated Cincinnati late Wednesday, the Guardians were moved to the mid-afternoon spot, as cleveland.com’s Joe Noga reported.
That decision translated to brisk business in bars near the ballpark, unlike for Game 2 on Wednesday, when business slowed to a morose pace. But Thursday, bars were packed with Guardians fans from East 4th Street to the large patio for The Clevelander and AJ Rocco’s on Huron Road.
The difference could be felt in the pregaming vibe, but it didn’t translate to the field as the Guardians lost, 6-3.
Game 3 sights and sounds
At the park
Happy Dog owner Sean Watterson and Parma Mayor Tim DeGeeter took in the game, nabbing centerfield seats. Watterson was raised in Cleveland Heights while Indiana native DeGeeter has been in Northeast Ohio for more than 30 years. “We got the stand here, which is great; we love being a part of it. But for me, Cleveland is a baseball town. To be here, to appreciate what they have done. … the run they have had the last month is incredible,” said Watterson, who goes to about 10 games a year. DeGeeter added: “It’s huge. It’s like a real-life ‘Major League’ movie script that they are playing this season. This to me is a baseball town.” DeGeeter’s treks to Progressive Field this season were a bit tempered by his teenage son’s baseball games. For Watterson, seeing his stand and other Cleveland-based concessions like Momocho and Barrio is a boon. Bonus: “It’s especially great when visiting teams come during the playoffs because I love getting their picture in a Cubs jersey or Tigers hat getting their hot dogs.”
Feller, old-school style
It’s not too uncommon to spot Bob Feller jerseys. But Chip Lange of Lakewood wore a classic – and old – jersey. It was a flannel Feller’s No. 19 that he’s had since 1980. It was from Mitchell and Ness, a company that was founded in 1904 and eventually taken over by Fanatics. “They found the old original flannels the jerseys were made from, so they started issuing them,” Lange said. Lange has worn it before, having been to four or five games this season, and it was in remarkably decent shape.
Doby’s Big Apple hat tip
Cristina Miller wore a Larry Doby jersey and t-shirt. Doby is, of course, the first African-American player in the American League who broke in with Cleveland in 1947. Miller, who said she is pals with Larry Doby Jr., surprisingly is not from Cleveland: She is a Mets fan from New York. But, as she said, “I love baseball.”
First time at the park
It’s amazing how many people take advantage of the first-visits-to-Progressive-Field certificates via one of three Fan Service Center areas. For one home weekend series against the Dodgers, staffers said they doled out 75. It depends on how well opposing teams’ fans travel, they said. And from the did-you-know department: Usually it’s kids who get them, but Logan Allen received one a few seasons back. And Chase DeLauter – who made his Major League debut in Game 2 on Wednesday – would be eligible for one, too.
Quotes of the day
“People came out happy. It got reinflated,” said our favorite vendor, Cowboy Tom working across the ballpark on East 9th Street. His biggest seller hands down: Anything with “Bring Back The Chief.” “People love that guy,” he said. Also this: A vendor at East 9th and Prospect Avenue said Indians hats were the top seller. “Change is hard,” vendor Michael Green said.
This and that …
Most of the parking in close proximity to Progressive Field was going for $60 to $80 on Thursday. … Roberto Perez threw out the ceremonial first pitch. The former catcher played the first eight of his 10 big-league seasons in a Cleveland uniform … DeLauter, who went to high school in West Virginia, had “Take Me Home, Country Roads” as his walk-up music Thursday. … Remember this: It was 75 degrees on Oct. 2 (!) at first pitch.