"That was the first great summer in my life," Shimrak says now.
Shimrak, 84, bursts into a joyful laugh when asked about this season's Indians, who will try to defeat the Cubs to win a World Series for the first time in 68 years. When he exited Cleveland Stadium after Game 5 of the World Series on Oct. 10, 1948, a 16-year-old Shimrak never would have predicted that a lifetime would pass without another Indians championship.
There have been return trips for the Tribe -- in 1954, '95 and '97 -- but no titles.
On Sunday morning, Shimrak was full of energy as he recalled that magical 1948 season for Cleveland.