The ’97 Series Will Never Leave Me

Cleveland Indians Sandy Alomar and Chad Ogea in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, Oct. 8, 1997, at Camden Yards in Baltimore. Mandatory Credit: Albert Dickson/Sporting News/Icon SMIWith the Cleveland Indians back in the World Series for the first time in 19 years, it’s natural for those of us who are old enough to harken back to the Tribe’s previous appearances in the Fall Classic. At 38 years old, I was in high school and then college during the Indians’ marvelous run in the mid and late 90’s and those teams will always have a special place in my heart. Like many fans, I look back at the 100-44 team of 1995 with wonder, and even the loss to the Atlanta Braves in the 1995 Series does little to diminish that. After all, we were just happy to have the Indians in the postseason for the first time in 41 years. The 1997 World Series between the Indians and the then Florida Marlins? That’s another matter entirely.

…