Rain doesn’t keep away Tribe fans at playoff rally

CLEVELAND (AP) — October baseball is back in Cleveland and Indians fans are wasting no time getting ready for the dreaded New York Yankees.

Hundreds of fans attended a rain-soaked rally Monday outside Jacobs Field to celebrate the Indians’ first postseason appearance since 2001.

Many fans huddled under umbrellas and rain ponchos, but others like Jonathan Cabil, just stood in the rain and smiled.

“This kind of weather doesn’t stop Cleveland fans,” the 47-year-old Cleveland resident said. “That shows how much support we have for our teams.”

Later he added, “We may be a little crazy.”

Yankees stand in way

The city is looking for its first World Series championship since 1948 and, like always, the Yankees stand in the way.

The Indians were 0-6 against the Yankees during the regular season and lost to them last time they faced each other in the playoffs — the 1998 American League Championship Series.

Yankees teams tormented the Indians in the 1950s. The Indians finished second to New York five times in the days before the wild card, which meant the Indians were denied a trip to the World Series each time.

Maybe that’s why except for LeBron James, who proudly wears a Yankees cap, the Bronx Bombers rank with the Pittsburgh Steelers as the most hated team in town.

Yankee concern lingers

Even among the confident rally crowd, concerns about the Yankees lingered.

Seventy-six-year-old Carol Donovan, who skipped a few days of high school to attend the ’48 World Series and parade that followed, said she was hoping the Indians would face Boston first, even though the Red Sox finished with a better record than New York.

Robyn Wilson, 17, doesn’t even remember the last time the Indians were in the playoffs, let alone past heartbreak against New York, yet she was already counting Cleveland out.

“We don’t have a chance against the Yankees,” she said.

However, Jim Stamper, dressed in a white tuxedo jacket with tails, baseball pants and cleats, said the high-priced lineup of the “Evil Empire” is no match for Cleveland.

“The Indians have a team this time and the pitching is the best in baseball,” said the 55-year-old.

Feller says pitching is key

Hall of Famer Bob Feller, a member of the ’48 Indians, appeared on stage at the rally and wished the Indians pitchers good luck.

“Pitching is the name of the game,” Feller said. “It always has been, always will be. If we get good pitching we’re going to win.”