One crazy night ahead in Cleveland for Cavaliers, Indians fans
CLEVELAND - Coco Crisp made his major league debut in August 2002, as the Cleveland Indians began a grim rebuild, the crowds at Jacobs Field dwindled and, across the street, the Cleveland Cavaliers were coming off a 53-loss season.
Perhaps most notably, says Crisp, "LeBron was still in Columbus."
Indeed, LeBron James was a high schooler during Crisp's first stint with the club, playing for Akron's St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, winning state championships and often selling out Ohio State's arena in Columbus. We all know what happened since: The Cavaliers drafted James No. 1 overall in 2003, lost him to the Miami Heat, got him back and then broke a five-decade, citywide title drought with a seven-game conquest of the Golden State Warriors in June's NBA Finals.
Tuesday night, a Cleveland long bereft of titles will look far different. LeBron's Cavaliers will receive their championship rings at Quicken Loans Arena while kicking off defense of their NBA title, just a fast break away and a few minutes before the Indians return to the World Series for the first time since 1997.
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It is going to be a scene. It will also be rich with symbolism.
"Everybody wanted (James) to get drafted and come here. And he did," said Crisp, who returned to the Indians via an August trade with Oakland and homered in each of the Indians' playoff series. "The city boomed, everybody was in love with the Cavs, we, the Indians, were playing well.
"It was a great environment. I wasn’t here when LeBron left. But I can still tell that the city has grown moreso than when I was still here. There’s different areas that had more life that weren’t here before. Cleveland itself has picked up its game."
The Indians insist that the Cavaliers' championship doesn't necessarily alleviate pressure on them to do the same. After all, they will not receive rings for the Cavs' accomplishment.
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Yet the franchises' concurrent success has undeniably energized the Indians' surprising 94-win season and 7-1 roll through the American League playoffs, punctuated by James and several teammates attending a playoff game at Progressive Field.
"I try to get over and watch them play as much as I can," Indians outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall says of the Cavaliers. "To see them guys come over here and have a good time at a baseball game - you don't see that a whole bunch. To have (James) come – he’s done so much for Ohio – just to have that little extra bit of energy is great."
That brings us to Tuesday night, and a scintillating 90 minutes. The Cavaliers will celebrate their title. Kenny Lofton will throw out the first pitch at a Progressive Field bursting with a standing-room-only crowd. And then Corey Kluber will throw the ball for real in Game 1 against the Chicago Cubs, the Indians searching for their first title since 1948.
It will fulfill a vision Chisenhall said he had after the American League won July's All-Star Game, ensuring home field advantage for the World Series. Chisenhall didn't even need to check a calendar.
"We knew we'd be here for the ring ceremony," he said. "That’s fitting in itself. This city’s been awesome throughout this whole playoff experience.
"I know the Cavs championship picked it up, and now we’re trying to do our thing."
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