Valley stores cash in on triumphant Tribe
By DENISE DICK
denise_dick@vindy.com
They’re looking to own a piece of sports history.
“They’re definitely flying off the shelves,” said Andre Morales, an assistant manager at Lids at Eastwood Mall in Niles.
He was talking about the store’s hats marking the Cleveland Indians’ American League championship. For the first time in 19 years, the team will play in the World Series. The Tribe bested the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday to clinch the pennant.
Hats, jerseys and T-shirts marking the accomplishment are popular at other sportswear stores, too.
Brent Wright, sales associate at Jersey World at Boardman’s Southern Park Mall, said Indians merchandise is selling well at that store, adding he was expecting a shipment of hats late Thursday afternoon.
T-shirts cost about $30, with jerseys about $110 and fitted caps about $33.
Trey Garcia, store manager at Champs in Southern Park Mall, said Indians championship gear is selling well.
Those items include locker room T-shirts and hats. The navy-blue locker-room shirts, replicas of what the team wore after Wednesday’s win, read “Raise the Flag” in red lettering. A flag emblazons the front proclaiming 2016 American League champions.
The Indians will face either the Chicago Cubs or the Los Angeles Dodgers beginning Tuesday night. Those teams are vying for the National League pennant.
Carol DeBiase, men’s department manager at JCPenney at Southern Park Mall, reported steady sales of the Indians championship merchandise.
“We’re just about out,” she said Thursday afternoon. “We only have 22 left.”
The store received about 200 in that first shipment, but more merchandise was expected later Thursday afternoon, DeBiase said.
The Indians last competed in the World Series in 1997, losing in seven games to the Florida Marlins. They also competed for the crown in 1995, losing to the Atlanta Braves, and in 1954, losing to the New York Giants.
The team hasn’t won the series since 1948, when it defeated the Boston Braves. They won the 1920 fall classic, too, downing the Brooklyn Robins.
It’s been a good year for Cleveland sports fans – the 0-6 Browns being the exception.
The Tribe’s appearance in the World Series follows the Cavaliers’ earning that team’s first National Basketball Association championship in franchise history.