The Scoop - February 6, 2017
Posted by Heather Rutz on Feb 06, 2017
The Cleveland Indians want to keep a good thing going.
Bob DiBiasio isn’t letting Sports Illustrated anywhere near the Cleveland Indians.
The team’s vice president for public affairs wasn’t kidding Monday when he spoke to Lima Rotary Club. The sports magazine, known for cursing teams that appear on its cover, featured the Indians ahead of the 2015 season, and let’s just say things didn’t go well.
This year, coming off winning an American League Pennant and losing a heartbreaker to the Chicago Cubs in the World Series, DiBiasio wants no SI treatment, because the team has a good thing going.
“We should provide our fans with a heck of a summer,” DiBiasio said.
With four straight winning seasons and now the reigning American League champions, the Indians need fans to support the team with attendance.
“We now need people to come to the ballpark,” DiBiasio said. “It’s our area of growth.”
The club is headed in the right direction: Season ticket holders have increased from 7,500 last year to currently 11,500. The Indians have spent $30 million on renovations in recent years to attract young adults and families and reward season ticket holders. Progressive Field will be 25 years old when it hosts the All-Star Game in 2019.
Pitchers and catchers report Feb. 14 and Opening Day is about two months away. The team hopes to build on last year’s success, adding designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion and left-handed reliever Boone Logan.
Outfielder Michael Brantley, who hasn’t seen a healthy season since 2015, continues to progress, DiBiasio said.
“We won’t know until mid-March,” DiBiasio said about Brantley, adding that by then Brantley should be playing regularly if he’s truly ready to go this season.
In other Rotary business Monday:
Lisa Amstutz announced the UNOH Rotaract Club will hold a bake sale during next week’s Rotary Club meeting, to benefit the UNOH chapter’s work. Club members have been busy volunteering at the West Ohio Foodbank, Lima Developmental Center, and Humane Society of Allen County.
Many tickets remain for the Reverse Raffle planned for Saturday, Feb. 11 at Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center. Tickets are $100 and winners do not need to be present to win. See Jay Begg for tickets.