Cleveland Indians Caravan Erie Stop

Fans Welcome Cleveland Indians Caravan

Even though snow covered the ground and temperatures dipped into the teens, Cleveland Indians fans were dreaming of opening day as the Indians Winter Caravan visited the Barber National Institute on Tuesday, January 26, 2010. This year’s lineup included Sandy Alomar, Jr., the former star catcher now coaching for the Tribe, as well as outfielder Trevor Crowe and pitcher Tony Sipp.

Alomar, Sipp and Crowe joined Indians broadcaster Matt Underwood in a brief program, followed by an opportunity for questions from the audience. The event also included an auction of team memorabilia and special ticket packages, and concluded with the opportunity for autographs for young Tribe fans.

Alomar joined the Indians as the first base coach in November, marking a celebrated homecoming to Cleveland. The famed catcher had an illustrious decade with the Indians that began with the 1990 season, when he became the first rookie catcher to start an All-Star game and won both Rookie of the Year honors and a Gold Glove Award. In spite of injuries, Alomar was selected for several All-Star games in the early ‘90s. His career peaked in 1997, when he batted .324, was the MVP of the All-Star Game in his home ballpark, put together a 30-game hitting streak and helped lead Cleveland to their third straight postseason appearance. In the Division Series against the Yankees, Alomar hit .316 with two home runs. In the ALCS match against the Baltimore Orioles, he provided a game-winning hit in the ninth inning of game 4.

In all, Alomar hit 93 homers in 985 games before leaving the Indians in 2000. He continued his career with several teams and then joined the coaching staff of the New York Mets in 2008. Soon after taking over as head coach in the fall, Manny Acta brought Alomar back to the Tribe as part of the coaching staff.

Left handed pitcher Tony Sipp began the 2009 season shuttling between Triple-A Columbus and Cleveland, before settling into the Tribe bull pen. The 26-year old left hander developed better command of his pitches, particularly his changeup, ending the season with two wins and no losses, and a 2.93 era. He is expected to be a key closer in the 2010 season.

Trevor Crowe made his first foray into the Major Leagues in 2009 and is expected to see a lot of action in the coming season. While the Indians have a potentially crowded outfield, the athletic Crowe could find himself in the mix as a fourth outfielder with speed off the bench and the ability to play all three spots.

All proceeds from the event benefited services at the Barber National Institute for children and adults with disabilities.