Not so fan-tastic: Cleveland lukewarm about Indians’ success

CLEVELAND (AP) — In a town where LeBron James and Brady Quinn get all the attention, fans have been slow to embrace the Cleveland Indians.

Wake up Cleveland fans, your team is tops in the majors.

The Indians are on the verge of their first division title since 2001 and thanks to a sweep of the Detroit Tigers and a 20-5 run since Aug. 25, they entered Thursday night at 90-62, tied with the Los Angeles Angels for the best record in baseball.

With their magic number at three, they could clinch the AL Central this weekend during a three-game series against Oakland. The Indians have sold more than 30,000 tickets for each game and will likely sell out, but that hasn’t been the norm this year.

A franchise that sold out 455 straight games from 1995 to 2001, ranks just 19th in highest attendance out of 30 teams this season at 2.2 million.

Factors cited

There are a number of factors cited for the soft attendance: the region’s weak economy, the Cavaliers’ run to the finals eating up fan and corporate dollars, and losing four home dates because of an April snowstorm that wiped out Opening Day.

But Lewis Stevens, 22, of Parma, believes there’s a simple reluctance by the fans to get passionate about this Indians team. He compares it to being hesitant about getting back together with an ex-girlfriend — the fear of getting dumped again.

“You get this close and they let you down. That’s the whole reason. People don’t want to be let down,” said Lewis, who was at Jacobs Field on Thursday buying two tickets for Sunday’s game, which he figures will be the clincher.

One fan’s view

Mike Hogan, 43, of Chagrin Falls, also believes the once bitten, twice shy sentiment is strong in Cleveland, a city that saw the Indians lose the World Series in 1995 and 1997 and hasn’t won a championship in any major professional sport since the Browns in 1964.

“They don’t want to latch on and have their hearts crushed,” said Hogan, who will take his 10-year-old son, Brendan, to Sunday’s game.

“I think guys and teams are aware of what we can do, but if they don’t the sneak factor is always good,” added Indians closer Joe Borowski.

Borowski, who leads the league with 42 saves in his first year with Cleveland, is one of the players the casual fan probably hasn’t gotten to know yet. Those who fondly remember Jim Thome and Omar Vizquel still haven’t gotten acquainted with Fausto Carmona, Asdrubal Cabrera and Jhonny Peralta.

“I don’t think they promote the players enough. The new guys,” said Jeff Best, 36, of Youngstown. “I don’t think anybody knows the talent on this team.”