|
|
Oxley was waiting by the East Ninth Street entrance with his 11-year-old son, Richard, who had never attended a home opener. Oxley's 70-year-old father, also named Richard, was on the way, he said.
A crowd of 42,424 fans packed Jacobs Field yesterday to watch the Indians beat the Minnesota Twins, 6-3. There was a carnival atmosphere outside the stadium, with a rock band belting out Cheap Trick covers, scalpers hawking tickets on street corners and Slider, the Indians' large purple mascot, tossing a few baseballs to kids.
Jim Pecl, a 50-year-old corporate trainer from North Ridgeville, said he has attended every home opener for almost two decades. He was walking to Flannery's Pub with a friend, Randy Sindelar, about 1 p.m. yesterday for lunch before the big game.
''It's a tradition, whether it's baseball weather or football weather,'' Pecl joked. ''We've been going for at least the past 18 years, (even) at the old stadium when nobody went.''
John Witri, 44, of Lakewood, took his 9-year-old daughter, Dani, and his 6-year-old son, Jack, for their first home opener yesterday. They also had tickets to watch the Cleveland Cavaliers play the Milwaukee Bucks last night.
Dani said her favorite Cleveland Indian is Omar Vizquel, but it wasn't because of his solid play. She just liked his name.
''When I was little my dad started saying names of players, and I just picked him. I don't know why,'' she said.
Dannielle Salapack, 27, of Canton, is a die-hard Cleveland fan. About half an hour before the opening pitch, she was walking toward the gate carrying a large red sign that read, ''Will pitch for beer.''
''I've been to every home opener since 1995,'' Salapack said. ''I missed last year because I was living in New Jersey, so this is my homecoming. I'm a huge fan.''
The fans seemed to be having a great time yesterday before the game. Masses of people crowded onto the patios at the Thirsty Parrot and Panini's Bar & Grill nearby, knocking back a few cold ones before the opening pitch.
Not everyone was there to try and catch fly balls and eat hot dogs. Demonstrators who say they feel the Indians' logo, Chief Wahoo, demeans Native Americans stood near the East Ninth Street entrance and along Ontario yesterday, carrying signs that read, ''Great Team, Lousy Logo.''
''We just wanted to let people know that it's a great team, but the logo needs to change,'' said Evelyn Lane, a 22-year-old Oberlin College student who carried a ''Implied ownership of a people is not cool'' placard.
Most fans weren't buying it yesterday, shouting things like ''find a real cause'' as they walked past toward The Jake yesterday.
Fans started filing into the stadium at 1:30 p.m. yesterday, but by 2:45 people were still packed in like sardines at Mr. Bill's, a small bar on East Ninth Street near Jacobs Field. The fans were as optimistic as they were thirsty, despite the Indians' recent spate of narrow losses.
''They're young, but if the pitching turns around, especially the bullpen, they can make some noise in the Central Division,'' said Chuck Miller, 52, of Sandusky. ''Chicago's going to be the one to beat, though.''
