CLEVELAND — Despite attendance being among the lowest in baseball during the regular season, Cleveland Guardians fans came out in full force on Friday for Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series at Progressive Field.
Most of the fans we spoke to said that when it comes to baseball in Cleveland, when the playoffs roll around, they'll be at the park.
Once they are at Progressive Field, there's a 50/50 chance that a fan is either wearing a piece of history with Indians gear, or supporting the name change and sporting Guardians merchandise.
"It's still Cleveland," explains fan Tom Neff. "It's a Cleveland team. No matter what the other name is, we still support the Tribe, we also support the Guardians. It's a Cleveland team and that's what you have to do."
The fans were fired up before the game, some walking around the ballpark for more than two hours before first pitch. Once the Guardians came away with a 2-1 victory, the celebration began.
"Kinda what they did all year," says another fan named Dave. "They fell behind, they didn't panic, we got a runner on and José (Ramírez) comes up and hits one out. Bieber goes eight innings and (Emmanuel) Clase gets a four-out save. I mean it's just what they've done all year long."
"It was awesome" adds fan Patti. "Everybody is focused on talent of the team. They respect each player's ability and they are here because they know we're going to win."
And the winning is contagious. Many fans told us after the game that they believe the Guardians are going to win the World Series. They'll need to win 12 more games to accomplish that feat.
More Guardians Game 1 coverage:
- Shane Bieber, José Ramírez lead Cleveland Guardians to 2-1 win over Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of AL Wild Card Series
- 'It was a blast': Shane Bieber relishes Cleveland Guardians' Game 1 win following dazzling pitching performance
- WATCH & LISTEN: Tom Hamilton calls José Ramírez's dramatic home run that gave Cleveland Guardians playoff win over Tampa Bay Rays