2003 Cleveland Indians

The Cleveland Indians are one of the oldest franchises in all of Major League Baseball. The Indians are one of the charter franchises of the American League, now playing in the American League Central Division against such rivals as the Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, and Kansas City Royals. The Indians won their first World Series in 1920, won again in 1954 but have yet to win another championship, losing in 7 games to the Florida Marlins in the 1997 World Series.

That Indians team was known for its strong offense led by sluggers Jim Thome and Albert Belle. The Indians were not considered a good franchise during most of the period of time between championships, but for the second half of the 90s they were perennial contenders in the American League Central. After their last American League Central Championship in 2001, the Indians began a rebuilding process.

The current Indians are led by first time manager Eric Wedge. They are a young baseball team known for its fast outfield of Milton Bradley, Coco Crisp, and Matt Lawton. Their best pitcher is a big, hard-throwing lefty named C.C. Sebathia. The Indians look to be able to bounce back quickly in what is generally a weak American League Central Division.

The Indians used to play in Cleveland Municipal Stadium, a large multi-sport facility used by both the Indians and the Cleveland Browns of the NFL. The stadium, often referred to as "The mistake by the lake," was built in 1932 and by the 1990's was extremely out of date. In 1994, Cleveland opened a brand new baseball-only stadium on Lake Erie called Jacobs Field. The opening of Jacobs Field coincided with the team's resurgence as a contender, and Indians games, which used to be sparsely attended, became a very hot ticket. The Indians sold out many games in their plush new surroundings.

The building of Jacobs Field along with Gund Arena (the home of the Cleveland Cavaliers) is looked upon as the beginning of the revitalization of downtown Cleveland. The field seats 43,368 people, providing a much cozier feeling then the cavernous Municipal Coliseum. The seats at Jacobs Field are among the most comfortable in the game with more leg room due to wider aisles. In addition, better elevation between rows means clear and unobstructed sight lines to the field. A truly unique feature at Jacobs Field is the angled seating sections. Located just beyond the dugouts in both the lower and upper decks, the seats are angled 8 to 12 degrees, offering fans who sit in these sections a view of the middle of the diamond minus the crick in the neck.

In Cleveland, the Indians are not the only game in town. Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association make their home at the aforementioned Gund Arena. The Cleveland Browns of the NFL made a return to the league in 1999 after a 4 year hiatus. They play their games at Cleveland Browns Stadium, also located on Lake Erie. The Browns are known for their boisterous fans, arguably the best in the NFL.

The Cleveland Indians will be playing baseball games in Jacobs Field for many years to come. Tickets to these games should remain a good buy, for an exciting experience.