Patient Indians reap a big reward by adding Encarnacion's big bat
Baseball America|January 27 2017

The Indians brought a big dose of baseball euphoria to Cleveland last summer amid some mixed signals disguised as empty seats. For all the talk of the city embracing Terry Francona and the Tribe, it’s hard to ignore the team’s 28th ranked attendance total of 1.59 million, or the shame less bailout by all those self-professed Indians “diehards” who sold their tickets to Cubs fans for Game 7 of the World Series at Progressive Field.

Jerry Crasnick 
Patient Indians reap a big reward by adding Encarnacion's big bat

The venue formerly known as Jacobs Field has shown some signs of fraying since its grand opening in 1994, when it was a crown jewel of a new era in ballpark construction and the Indians filled it with some star-laden lineups. The Tribe reeled off a streak of four straight seasons with 3.4 million fans or better and set a major-league record with 455 consecutive sellouts from 1997-2001 before interest began to wane. With Jim Thome, Albert Belle, Manny Ramirez and so many other dynamic hitters providing the entertainment, Cleveland fans were well aware of the risks they incurred if they chose to stay home.

During the franchise’s long, steady descent to an enthusiasm gap, the Dolan family ownership earned a reputation for being cheap and Cleveland’s front offices spent a lot of winters as bargain hunters and bystanders. The lone exception came before the 2013 season, when the Indians invested a total of $102 million in long-term contracts for Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn. We all know how that leap of faith turned out.

Four long, cold winters later, the Indians made a surprise reappearance as Hot Stove stalwarts when they signed free agent slugger Edwin Encarnacion to a guaranteed three-year, $60 million contract. Judging from the 200 season tickets sold the day the news broke, the locals wholeheartedly approve.

Low Maintenance Slugger

Esta historia es de la edición January 27 2017 de Baseball America.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición January 27 2017 de Baseball America.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE BASEBALL AMERICAVer todo
THE SERVICE TIME CONUNDRUM
Baseball America

THE SERVICE TIME CONUNDRUM

MLB’s byzantine service time rules cloud rookie status and now PPI eligibility

time-read
4 minutos  |
November 2024
LUIS TIANT WAS MLB'S MOST SUCCESSFUL CUBAN PITCHER
Baseball America

LUIS TIANT WAS MLB'S MOST SUCCESSFUL CUBAN PITCHER

On a scouting trip to Cuba in 1957, Bobby Avila discovered 16-year-old righthander Luis Tiant on the island's Juvenile League all-star team.

time-read
1 min  |
November 2024
ORGANIZATION REPORT
Baseball America

ORGANIZATION REPORT

Outfielder Heston Kjerstad's career has been unique, to say the least.

time-read
7 minutos  |
November 2024
TOP 10 NL EAST
Baseball America

TOP 10 NL EAST

From the moment Thomas White stepped on a high school mound, he was viewed as the top lefthander available in the 2023 draft.

time-read
4 minutos  |
November 2024
PREPARATION PAYS OFF
Baseball America

PREPARATION PAYS OFF

lowa politician J.D. Scholten makes a surprising return to pro ball at age 44

time-read
2 minutos  |
November 2024
MAKING THE GRADE
Baseball America

MAKING THE GRADE

Assessing the future value of graduated National League prospects

time-read
4 minutos  |
November 2024
TOP 10 NL WEST
Baseball America

TOP 10 NL WEST

Even in high school, Bryce Eldridge could hit the ball a mile. The 6-foot-7 righthander could also touch 96 mph off the mound.

time-read
4 minutos  |
November 2024
Wood Has Towering Upside- Nationals rookie James Wood also stands 6-foot-7 and also has game-changing power.
Baseball America

Wood Has Towering Upside- Nationals rookie James Wood also stands 6-foot-7 and also has game-changing power.

Aaron Judge and Oneil Cruz are 6-foot7 sluggers who stand out for their power in this year’s MLB Best Tools voting. Wood spent half of this season with Triple-A Rochester before making his MLB debut on July 1. While he was in the International League, he captured managers’ attention. Wood unanimously won Best Power Prospect and also claimed Most Exciting Player in a survey of league skippers. Wood hit .353/.463/.595 with 10 home runs in 52 games for Rochester. His .242 isolated slugging was the best for a player 21 or younger at Triple-A this season.

time-read
2 minutos  |
August/September 2024
ROAD BLOCK?
Baseball America

ROAD BLOCK?

Scholarship expansion puts mid-majors at a major disadvantage on the road to Omaha

time-read
4 minutos  |
August/September 2024
ROYALS REVIVAL
Baseball America

ROYALS REVIVAL

A revamped and rejuvenated farm system has Kansas City ready to rebound

time-read
6 minutos  |
August/September 2024