CLEVELAND — Who's pumped for a home opener!?
More specifically, who's pumped for a home opener at 30% seating capacity due to on ongoing pandemic after losing our best player, and also we're not totally sure if we're allowed to say our team's name out loud or not?!
Yeah, it's not great.
This is especially hurtful because Opening Day is one of the official, legitimized, all-day, day-drinking holidays here in Cleveland, along with St. Pats, Dyngus Day, every Browns Game, and now Michael Stanley Day, I guess, because why not? Let's throw it in the mix.
But like last year, Opening Day is going to look very different this season. First of all, the fact that the stadium can only be 30% full is obviously disappointing, as we Indians fans traditionally like to save that level of attendance for the SECOND home game of the season, but we can adjust to that.
What is truly jarring is just how different the team itself looks this year, what with the payroll being slashed considerably for…cost-saving measures….so we have a lot of new faces.
Francisco Lindor is gone, you guys, and the worst part is that he still seems pretty happy. I keep watching his social media like I'm some bitter ex, just hoping that he might look sad or gain weight cause he misses us. So far, no dice, and we have to move on.
So rather than dwell on the negative, I thought I'd use this opportunity to introduce you to some of the new players we scored during the offseason and give them each a nickname so that we can start to form a connection with them as a fanbase.
With that said, let’s meet some of the exciting new faces of the Cleveland Indians that I'm sure will soon have us all saying, "Francisco Lind-who?"
First up, Eddie Rosario!
He’s a 29-year-old outfielder with some pop in his bat who can hit the long ball, and who I’m nicknaming him "Rosebud." It's not great, but it’ll do for now.
Next!
He’s an exciting young shortstop who bats left, throws right and spent most of the 2018 season playing for a team called The Binghamton Rumble Ponies. So, I am nicknaming him "The Rumble Pony," which kind-of rules.
Next!
Wait, didn't I just do Rosario? This is a different one? We got two Rosarios in the offseason? Fine, I'm calling him "Rosario-also."
Next.
Hey, look out! It’s Ben Gamel!
Where are my Gamel-Heads at? Ben’s a 28-year-old outfielder who looks like one of your brother's friends, and he's originally from Neptune, Florida. We'll be calling him "Gamel-iscious."
Next!
A newly acquired relief pitcher, Shaw is another fresh face on the scene who…wait a second, is this the same Bryan Shaw? From before? Like, our Bryan Shaw? Oh man. We brought him back...He must be 50.
Okay, you know what? Let's stop meeting the new players. This isn't great.
Look, alright, the roster might not be loaded with high priced talent this year, and maybe a return to the World Series isn't exactly inevitable, but that's not what its all about anyways, is it? It's about the experience of going to the ballpark and supporting your team. And hey, no matter how the Tribe happens to play on Monday, we'll still have those fun hot dog races to watch where the condiments all chase each other around. That's fun, right?
We just need to stay positive. Sure, maybe things are a little different this season, and maybe we're not yet familiar with everyone who is on our team, but this is still our team. So, Go Tribe!
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