Indians Fan Wrote Open Letter to Cubs, their Fans
I remember late October, early November very, very well. It was the most exciting, nerve racking, emotional time I’ve ever had as a fan – and I wouldn’t change a single thing about it. I made the travel to Cleveland to hopefully watch the Chicago Cubs extend the series to a decisive game seven. I went to Cleveland expecting to be hated on, and likewise hate back (in good nature of course).
The thing is, I couldn’t hate, or dislike, or wish bad will on anyone in Cleveland. Including the Indians. And I wanted to, oh how I wanted to.
The players. I wanted to dislike Corey Kluber, but the guy is a beast. Francisco Lindor??? I mean… come on! Andrew Miller was a sight to see. Then Tito, Terry Francona? How can anyone dislike that guy?
Driving to Cleveland was so much different than arriving in Cleveland. The drive was littered with fellow Cubs fans with window flags and Cubs hats and window paint. Arriving in Cleveland was a bit scary. Were fans going to be nasty, throw stuff at us, try to start fights?
No. The people were freaking awesome. One of my first interactions was with a pair of Cleveland police officers who, while in the middle of arresting someone of presumably shoplifting, stopped to point us in the wrong direction of the stadium. Others joked just the same, all with good spirits. Even those around us in the stadium were great guys and gals.
When the Cubs scored in the first inning, with a two out rally, I was happy, but couldn’t help but notice how 65% of the stadium was fearing the worst.
After the game we hit up some bars, and even in their drunken stupors, the Cleveland fans were awesome.
That is why I loved this letter so much from Reddit user Indians34521.
Sure it might be easier to get over things after your team has won 21 consecutive games, but I get it. I get everything he says. I understand how it would taste to be that close. I understand how you might be able to feel, but not at the same time.
I say kudos to you, and like I say to any Indians fan I meet now, if the Cubs don’t win the World Series in 2017, I want the Indians to do it. Finally.
I respect the words and experiences of both writers, however I would like to share another experience of a Cubs fan to went to games 6 and 7 in Cleveland.
Unlike the seemingly wonderful experiences of these writers, I saw, felt and was (verbally) attacked in the opposite way. Sitting 12 rows behind home plate in game 6 (2 rows behind and ~7 seats from Theo, Jed and Jason), I was racially attacked, called racist names, had food thrown on me, was poked and pushed from 3 Indians fans sitting right behind me… for the first 7 innings of game 6
What makes it worse was that ”everyone” sitting around me knew EXACTLY what the 3 racists were doing and saying. … and NO ONE said or did anything.
[The 3 goons were experienced] in the 3rd inning of the game, a female usher came to ‘me’ and said ‘..I have heard enough about you! (Ie ‘me”). She then said ‘..if I hear 1 more complaint about ‘you’, you are out of here’ .(… I was dumbfounded). But apparently the 3 ‘racists’ had gone to the usher and told her that ‘i’ was causing all kinds of problems… they were laughing their butts off. With her words, they now had ‘open season’ to do, say and treat me anyway they wanted …
… I have not heard this degree or severity of ‘racial’ abusr since I was growing up in the mid 70s… mind you they were openly vocal .. they were standing up and pointing at me.. they were ‘riling up’ the fans ‘all around me.’ Yep .. although no one else joined in, ‘silence = acceptance’… and that is exactly what at least 20 Cleveland fans around me did … absolutely ‘nothing.’
In the bottom of the 7th inning 2 cops and into my aisle and the 3 ‘racists’ started laughing and saying ‘ha ch— (I am Asian), they got you now!’ …
But then the cops stood to my right (the 3 guys were in the row behind me) and said ‘.. you 3, you are outta here..’ Of course they went into their ‘Eddie haskell’ mode saying ‘wuaht? What did we do?’ The cop didn’t believe them. I turned around and said ‘own it, a——. My god you dish this garbage out for 7 innings, you get busted and your flat out lie!! Own it!’
I then looked at everyone sitting around them and I said ‘you all are as pathetic as these 3.’ Of course no one said a thing .. the 3 fans were escorted out of the park ..
It turns out that my wife, who was sitting next to me, got so upset that she went and told the police (not the lady usher) what the 3 guys were doing and saying. Thank god, at the same time, there was a Cleveland season ticket holder who apparently had heard enough and told the cops at the same time my wife was there ..
Sooo.. take this story however you want. I have audio of what they were saying (and how loud they were saying it). The Cleveland team is fantastic. Your players are a great group of young stars. But don’t tell me how ‘great’ the Cleveland ‘fans’ are … other than the ‘1’ season ticket holder, no one said a thing …
We raised 2 boys with basic values of treat people right, color-age-religion-shape means nothing, and above all … ‘silence = acceptance’ …
Good luck to the Indians… but we all must ‘own’ what we say, what we allow and what we choose to do and ‘not’ to do..
John, as a Cleveland fan I’d like to apologize. Those people are not representative of our fan base and I’m personally disappointed in the way you were treated.
There is absolutely no room for that at all. I can’t say sorry enough, nor do I think a sorry could help remove the charged emotion exchanged.
Every team has that kind of trash. As a Cubs fan living in cincinnati, all I here is people yelling how rude and nasty a fanbase we are. Whick I know is not true.
I went to Cleveland to see Schwarber’s debut two years ago and everyone I ran into was extremely friendly right down to the ushers. Every team has assholes and sadly you found some of theirs.
Indians fan here, and I have to say you north siders are about the classiest bunch we’ve encountered. Quite a refreshing experience, especially compared to your… Neighbors, shall we say, from the south side. Yes, we want to beat you, but you’re always welcome here as friends.
Well heck. You’re a great dude. Thanks!