With a heartbreaking loss Wednesday at the hands of the Chicago Cubs, the Indians must be credited for doing more than just playing a 7 game series. The Indians being in the World Series has brought a whole new energy to Cleveland, almost unparalleled for the city. The success of the Cavs and Indians has pumped energy throughout the entire city, helping local businesses and helping spread Cleveland’s nationwide reputation.
I was a witness to this last night. At the game, the tension between the two teams and fanbases was intense. Every spot around Progressive field was taken up by people cheering intently for their respective teams. In fact, as the game progressed I noticed the unusual amount of Cubs fans throughout the stadium. Perhaps they might have a larger and better fan base. However, the true reason the Cubs fans seemed to so overrun Cleveland, Progressive Field, and Indians fans in general, comes down to money. A Wall Street Journal article states, “Based on secondary market prices, it’s less money for fans to drive to Cleveland and stay at a hotel than it is to go to Wrigley Field.” Thus, it was a more sensible investment for Chicago natives to see a game outside their home city than for them to go to one in their hometown.
If this was the case, the Indians could have decided to drive ticket prices through the roof, theoretically leading to a smaller Cubs’ turnout. Also, if the Indians charged at Chicago higher prices, perhaps there would not be such a big turnout of Cubs fans, giving Cleveland a better chance of winning. All solutions to this difficult problem are flawed. At the end of the day, much of it is uncontrollable and comes down to which city and fanbase has more resources to expend. In this case, that edge clearly went to the city of Chicago.
Even though the Tribe fumbled a 3-1 lead, the progress and maturation of the team was incredible. The Indians will be prepared mentally and physically for next season as they try to finish the job once more.