Ueberroth’s Challenge--and a Winner--Enliven Cleveland Baseball Scene

Last winter as the snowflakes drifted through Cleveland Stadium, Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth challenged the city and the team to reach the million mark in attendance this season.

You may take Ueberroth’s words as one reason the club has come to the midpoint of the 1986 campaign with its best attendance pace in 35 years. Or, you could listen to the simpler analysis of veteran designated hitter Andre Thornton.

“If we win, they’ll come out to see us,” said Thornton. “That’s the bottom line.”

Cleveland had a 46-39 record at the All-Star break. The Indians have drawn 818,203 fans through 44 dates and the average of 18,596 per game puts the team on a seasonal pace of 1,506,276--the best since the 1951 campaign when 1,704,984 came through the turnstiles.

On July 4, 73,303 watched as Cleveland began a three-game sweep of defending World Champion Kansas City. The crowd was the largest in the majors in 13 years.

“The fan interest has always been here,” says Indian President Peter Bavasi. “They’ve called us the slumbering giant, and perhaps that’s so.

“The people are coming out and it’s no slick marketing feat. We’re playing winning baseball and that’s what the fans want. That’s what we want, too.”

Cleveland already surpassed the 1985 attendance of 655,181 as well of the totals of the previous two years--734,269 in 1984 and 768,941 in 1983.

Since 1960, the Indians have reached the million mark only four times. This year’s success, therefore, has brought on several new experiences for both management and fans.

“We’ve had to hold up some games so that people could get in,” said Bavasi. “A couple of times, too, we didn’t have enough ticket windows open. There’s been an adjustment process for us.”

The players, while used to seeing large crowds on the road, still are surprised by the noise and the traffic jams.

“A couple of times, it was deafening out there,” says second baseman Tony Bernazard. “We never had to use so many hand signals before to communicate.

“But the cheering is great. It really motivates you.”

After the games, though, Indian player have had to dress quickly because of the traffic created by the jammed parking lots.

“I know this happens at Shea and Yankee Stadiums, but I never figured it would happen here,” says outfielder Joe Carter. “I don’t like sitting in traffic, but it’s still much less of a pain than playing in front of all those empty seats.”

Bavasi says the season ticket base has improved, but still is hovering around the 3,500 mark.

“We’d like to build stronger community support and I think that will come along well the rest of the summer.

“The impending sale of the team to the Jacobs brothers (real estate developers from Westlake, Ohio), is a signal of improving corporate support. I feel the Indians’ stock in the American League is improving.”

Manager Pat Corrales agrees.

“We’re not doormats anymore,” he said. “The other teams know it--they can make road expenses now--and so do the fans. They come out wanting to see us win, and we’ve been doing just that.”