Indians Batting Practice: May 6, with a special visitor
Today’s BP session featured a visit from Nick Leyto, who for the last three months has been getting cancer treatments at Cleveland Clinic. He’s home now for two weeks before returning to the Clinic for more chemo.
–Photos by Kyle Emery
‘Jacob’s Ride’ coming to Progressive Field on Tuesday
Jake Landis will visit Progressive Field on Tuesday as part of his Jacob’s Ride program, through which he’s bicycling over 10,000 miles, to all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums in 2013.
His goal: raising $1 million for cochlear implants, or bionic ears, which help those with hearing impairment hear more clearly.
The 24-year-old left his home in Annapolis, Md., for the 175-day trip, which began at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., and will end on Sept. 24 at Marlins Park in Miami. At Progressive Field on Tuesday, he’ll throw out a ceremonial first pitch before the game.
According to Jacob’s Ride, hearing impairment is now the No. 1 birth defect among children born in America; over 500,000 Americans live in the United States with severe to profound hearing loss. Cochlear implants (CI) are the most successful medical intervention for those profoundly deaf or severely hard-of-hearing. A small, complex electronic device, it bypasses the damaged parts of the inner ear and delivers electrical impulses to the auditory nerve sending information to the brain.
Funds raised by Jacob’s Ride will go to existing foundations and hospitals that work with cochlear implant candidates. These organizations include:
- The Gift of Hearing Foundation, Massachusetts
- Hearing Loss Association of America
- Johns Hopkins Medicine: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Maryland
- Mayo Clinic, Minnesota
- J.W. Pickle Foundation, Tennessee
Find more information on Jacob’s Ride by clicking here.
–TribeVibe contributor Joel Hammond
Indians Batting Practice Photos: May 3
Think these guys are having fun?
–Photos by TribeVibe contributor Kyle Emery
Indians end seven-year drought vs. Browns in Bowl For Kids Sake series
The Cleveland Indians have ended the Cleveland Browns’ seven-year winning streak in the teams’ annual Bowl For Kids Sake matchup Thursday night at Freeway Lanes in Parma.
The Browns had won seven straight and held a 7-3 edge in the teams’ all-time series. But the Indians — led by Reggie Hawthorne, a Progressive Field Retail Stand Captain who recently participated in the National Intercollegiate Bowling Championships for Notre Dame College — beat the Browns by about 7,000 pins.
Players who participated included Justin Masterson, Chris Perez, Yan Gomes and Bryan Shaw, while wives including Amanda Kluber, Meryl Masterson, Jenny Gomes, Kristin Shaw, Melanie Perez, Kathleen Reynolds and Meredith Chisenhall joined the festivities. Browns players including Jabaal Sheard, Billy Winn, John Hughes and Craig Robertson also were on hand, while mascots Slider and Chomps made appearances.
Proceeds from the event go to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cleveland, the largest provider of one-on-one youth mentoring services in the United States. The group has been bringing caring adults into the lives of children for over 100 years. BBBS of Greater Cleveland provides professionally-supported one-on-one mentoring services to youth, serving over 600 children annually in Cuyahoga County, either in the community or at a site or school. For more information visit http://www.bbbsneo.org.
–TribeVibe contributor Joel Hammond (photos by Dan Mendlik)
Indians introduce new Teen Suite
Host a party for your teenage son or daughter in the all new Teen Suite!
Perfect for birthdays, graduation parties and other special celebrations, the Teen Suite features both indoor and outdoor seating options, in addition to a lounge area with video games and an all-you-can-eat buffet.
By reserving the Teen Suite, fans will also receive tickets for FOUR CLUB SEATS: perfect for parents and/or chaperones of the group in the Suite!
The Teen Suite will be available every Friday and Saturday night starting in May, and could be made available for other select dates as well. Transportation options also are available as part of a package purchase.
For more information on the new Teen Suite and to place a deposit, visit the Teen Suite page on Indians.com.
–TribeVibe contributor Joel Hammond
Indians Batting Practice: May 1
The Indians are back at it after a seven-homer night in Tuesday’s 14-2 win over the Phillies. And by the looks of these photos, it looks like they’re enjoying themselves!
–Kyle Emery photos
Yan Gomes, Meryl Masterson, Indians front office staff pitch in to help at Providence House
Members of the Indians organization spent time Monday morning volunteering at Providence House, an organization that fights to end child abuse and neglect by protecting at-risk families, empowering families in crisis and building safe communities for every child.
Located in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood, Providence House serves kids ranging from infants to 10 years old; its model goes beyond emergency shelter and includes a range of case management and supportive services for both children and their families, with a goal to stabilize, strengthen and reunify each family.
Indians volunteers ranged from various departments – ownership, communications, community outreach, PR, merchandise and finance. Even the Tribe’s most recent starting catcher, Yan Gomes, and his wife, Jenna — as well as Meryl Masterson (wife of Indians pitcher Justin Masterson) — gave up one of their precious few off days to come down and lend a hand.
Providence House staff gave volunteers an overview of their services, a tour of their newly remodeled facility and asked Indians staff to help assemble intake bags, which are kitted items that each child receives upon arrival at Providence House and takes home when he or she leaves (toothbrush, 5+sets of clothes, shoes, etc.).
And the best part of the day was the chance to interact and play with some of the kids who were currently staying at Providence House.
“I absolutely loved it,” said Indians payroll manager Mary Forkapa about the experience. “The fact that we got to interact with the kids and make a direct and immediate difference in their lives made it incredibly worthwhile. Seeing them get excited about having us there was just awesome. I plan to come back and do this again on a regular basis.”
The Indians have a long relationship with Providence House through their community outreach department and provide financial and volunteer support to the organization. In addition, on Opening Day, new Tribe first baseman Nick Swisher and his wife, Joanna, donated $75,000 to Providence House in direct support of the crisis nursery. For more information about getting involved, please visit www.provhouse.org.
–TribeVibe contributor Anne Keegan (photos by Kyle Emery)
Kids now eat free at Bob Evans after Indians victories!
The Cleveland Indians and Columbus-based Bob Evans on Wednesday introduced a new promotion through which kids will eat free after Indians victories at participating Bob Evans restaurants.
Dubbed “When The Indians Win, Kids Win,” the partnership allows kids to eat free with the purchase of an adult entrée, that day and for the next day after a victory. No coupon is needed; fans simply can tell their local Bob Evans they’re there to celebrate an Indians victory.
Harvey Brownlee, Bob Evans’ Executive Vice President and Restaurant Operating Officer, is a Cleveland native and was on hand Wednesday at the Bob Evans in Brook Park to announce the new offering.
“I used to sneak into Cleveland Municipal Stadium to watch Tribe games,” he said. Indians Senior Vice President of Public Affairs Bob DiBiasio responded by giving Brownlee an Indians jersey and telling him, “Now when you sneak into Progressive Field, you’ll look a little better.”
“We’re here to celebrate two iconic companies and their commitments to children and families,” Brownlee said.
Indians mascot Slider also was on hand to celebrate, and had a few bites to eat with a group of area children there to mark the occasion.
“Our Guiding Commitments, the core parts of our brand are Creating Memories, Connecting Generations and Celebrating Families,” DiBiasio said. “This partnership is another way to accomplish those goals.”
–TribeVibe contributor Joel Hammond; photos by Dan Mendlik
Scooter conoisseur, Harlem Shake savant, TERRi — and now TV star?
Indians manager Terry Francona has shown a wide array of talents in his brief tenure in Cleveland, not the least of which has been dealing with a jumbled clubhouse due to a rash of early season injuries.
Surely you remember his star turns on his scooter, in our Harlem Shake video and as a form of Apple’s famous Siri.
Next on the docket: Potentially the next great commercial TV star, as Francona filmed a new commercial for McDonald’s on Monday morning.
But as Francona found out, being on TV is not just about having a pretty face: There’s a lot of waiting involved. McDonald’s set up for filming in the visitors’ clubhouse at Progressive Field around 7 AM, and Francona spent hours on set. The commercial soon will being airing in Northern and Northeast Ohio.
–TribeVibe contributor Joel Hammond (photos by Dan Mendlik)
Mariano Rivera thanks longtime behind-the-scenes Tribe baseball staff and fans
Before Wednesday’s now postponed game, Mariano Rivera took the time to sit down and talk a little baseball, Cleveland and life with about 25 members of the Cleveland Indians front office staff and a few fans. The Yankee closer will retire at the end of the 2013 season, and has been looking forward to reaching out to the people who work and care so much about the game.
“One of the things he was emphatic about was meeting people that don’t necessarily dress up in a uniform and pitch or hit,” said New York Yankees Director of Communications and Media Relations Jason Zillo. “Every city that we go to, he wants to meet some of the people that are behind the scenes.
“The other thing he made very clear to me is that he doesn’t care if you’re a Yankee fan, or if you’re a Mariano Rivera fan, per se, but if you have passion about baseball and care about what you do. I am speaking for Mo, but I think in a lot of ways, he considers all of us family, whether you play for the Yankees or work for the Indians, or drag the dirt after the games in Detroit.
“He just wants the chance to get to know everybody.” Rivera went on to thank everyone, answer questions, shake hands and give out signed baseballs.
“I just want to say that I appreciate what you guys do,” Rivera said. “Yes, we most of the time see only what goes on on the field. We don’t get to see what’s going on behind the scenes, and I want to make sure that I say thank you for everything that you guys do. For the love and the passion for your team.
“Jason said it perfectly — it’s not about whether you are a Yankees fan, or not, as long as you are a baseball fan. Thank you for being here.”
Rivera was quick to notice John Adams, the Tribe’s unofficial drummer for 40 years.
“Where is the drummer? Hey man, I love you. You are the man. Being loyal and being there day in and day out. Forty years, oh my God, I’ve seen what — 19 of those. I respect that man.”
Adams was also quick to respond, with a laugh: “This is stress relief for me – and you’ve given me a lot of stress.”
John Krepop, Press Box Supervisor for 41 years — or, as everyone in the press box knows him, “Popper” — asked how the game of baseball has changed during Rivera’s 19-year career.
“It has changed a lot; wow, you cannot throw inside anymore,” Rivera laughed. “It has changed in a lot of aspects. But the game itself, it continues. I love the game like it’s my first year.”
Rivera also talked about how the infamous ’97 game against the Indians made him better, the impressive hitting power of the mid-90s Tribe, and his plans to retire.
“Being able to play, go on the field and do my job is a blessing,” Rivera said. “These are all great moments for me.”
The last active MLB player to wear Jackie Robinson’s No. 42, Rivera holds the MLB record for all-time saves with 608 and games finished with 892. On Thursday, Indians President Mark Shapiro and manager Terry Francona will be part of a pregame presentation to Rivera.
“It was an honor and a privilege to meet one of the greatest ballplayers of all time,” Krepop said. “I grew up watching a lot of players, and for him to take the time to meet us is very special. The fact that he wants to give back to the community — he’s a great player and a great person.”
–TribeVibe contributor Courtney Shilling
