The Cleveland Indians are winning. They are currently tied for the top spot in the American League Central Divison with the Tigers, and would make the playoffs for the first time since 2001 if the season ended today. However, the team currently ranks 23rd in attendance around the major leagues, and in the AL is ahead of a trio of teams with poor records: Baltimore, Kansas City, and Tampa Bay. The question needs to be asked, "Where is everybody?"
I realize it was a "perfect storm" of circumstances that lead to the 455 consecutive sellouts that occured from 1995-2002. The Browns weren’t here, the Cavaliers weren’t good, etc. However, prior to the ’95 Tribe, fans always echoed the sentiment that if the Indians won, they would come out in droves. They did in those years. What is happening now? The Indians are winning, and although they are drawing well on the weekends, where they are averaging over 30,000 per game, they are not drawing for weekday games.
Among the more ridiculous notions used for not going is that fans do not like the current owners, The Dolan family. The dislike comes from the perception they always take the cheap way out. Are these idiots really saying they would prefer the Dolans to spend more money and have a team that is not a contender? I don’t think so. The Royals are spending more than the Tribe, yet they are languishing in last place in the division. Is that better?
Others point out there is no identity with the current crop of Tribesmen. This too, is not valid. The core players (Shapiro term) such as Hafner, Martinez, Sizemore, Sabathia, Westbrook, Peralta, and Blake have been here for four seasons now. The 1995 team started putting the pieces in place in 1990-91. So to say the fans can’t identify with these current Indians is not valid.
This team deserves your support. They have played almost half a season and they are in first place, playing at almost a .600 pace. You wanted a winner, and you have it. The so-called "best sports fans" in the country have no excuse to not support the Cleveland Indians.
On the field, some changes may be coming for the Tribe. David Dellucci hurt his hamstring last night, and will be put on the disabled list. Since Shin-Soo Choo is currently hurt, it appears that Ben Francisco will be recalled from Buffalo to fill his spot. Another option might be to bring Andy Marte back and move Casey Blake to left field, but the former move is probably the way Mark Shapiro will go. It would not be surprising to see Roberto Hernandez cut loose after last night’s debacle against the Phillies. Eric Wedge wasn’t happy after the game, and can’t have any confidence bringing the veteran into a game.
Jason Stanford will likely be designated for assignment when the team activates Jake Westbrook prior to Sunday’s game against the Nationals. However, the Tribe should be able to make a deal for the lefty. He pitched well in his two starts with the Indians, with the bullpen hurting his outing last night. With the lack of decent starting pitching in the bigs, Shapiro shouldn’t have any problem getting something useful for Stanford.
KM
Cleveland Sports Perspective 
read this article: http://papacass.blogspot.com/2007/06/real-tribe.html and then you will have all the answers you need to your question. tribe fans are tired of the indians’ lip service that when the times comes for them to contend again, that the "dolan discount gang" will spend more money. well, how do you explain what happened in 2005 then??? weren’t they contenders then??? and yet who did they spend their money on that year: blob dickman, scott elarton, aaron boone, alex cora, jose "hose b" hernandez & "mr. one at-bat" juan gonzalez??? granted, they got lucky with 2 of the reclamation projects that year – bobby howry & kevin millwood, but where are they now??? detroit gets top-flite guys like kenny rogers, gary sheffield, sean casey, todd jones, carlos guillen, magglio ordonez and pudge rodriguez while the indians get guys off the scrap heap like david dellucci, trot nixon, jason johnson, oldberto hernandez, keith foulke, ramon vazquez & mike rouse and yet you wonder where the fans are??? gimme a break. don’t piss on my head and tell me it’s raining. all this stupid talk about cleveland supposedly being a small market team is nothing but propaganda speak to get the fans to drink the dolan kool-aid and we ain’t buying it. i’ve actually been to a total of 5 games so far this season, including one in cincinnati, so don’t blame me. blame the product they want to put out on the field. it was bad enough that eric "the genius" wedge took ryan garko (who was hitting .324 at the time) out of the lineup down in cincy, but to compound their offensive woes by taking out jhonny peralta too and replacing him with mike rouse simply because rouse hits left-handed was absolutely revolting. rouse was hitting .122 going into that game and after an 0-for-2, he was down to .116, oh but eric "the genius" wedge doesn’t anticipate making any changes in the utility infielder spot. why not??? he actually makes me want to bring vazquez back. ugh!!! i’m sorry but the fans are not to blame. they are speaking loud and clear of their dissatisfaction in the team by staying away and until such time that the dolan discount gang doesn’t put their money where their mouths are, it won’t get much better, winning record or not be damned. now, if they go out and get a chad cordero or an akinori otsuka to upgrade their bullpen along with adding a power right-handed bat like a jermaine dye or a mark teixeira, well then the fans will know the tribe brass is truly serious about winning at all costs as opposed to just contending within their self-imposed payroll restrictions and then and only then, will the fans start turning out more regularly at the jake. get it??? got it??? good!!! later, dave . . .
I guess I look at results. They are in first place. They are one of the best teams in the AL. You are right about Detroit, they took risks on Rodriguez and Ordonez and it paid off. Sean Casey is terrible and Todd Jones in Joe Borowski. The fact that you go to the games shows you aren’t the problem. But, to keep blaming the Dolans is getting old. The Browns have been crap since 1999, and they still sell out.