By Mikael DeSanto
Sports Assignment Editor
Not so long ago, it was a common thing to hear either Cleveland sports fans lamenting about how bad their teams are, or non-Cleveland sports fans making fun of them for it.
But things have changed within the last year or so.
In fact, you could say the sports world has been turned on edge by the performances coming out of the city of Cleveland in the last year.
A city that had not seen a professional sports title since 1964 now has two this year, and might be getting its third.
Lake Erie Monsters: 2016 Calder Cup Champions
The first title came from a less publicized source, the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League (AHL), an affiliate of the NHL’s Florida Panthers. The team, which changed its name to the Cleveland Monsters this season, swept the Hershey Bears in the Calder Cup Finals to bring Cleveland a championship. They lost only two games through the four rounds of playoffs, and swept the first, third and final round.
With a lineup consisting of a roster of mostly younger players, future stars like forwards Oliver Bjorkstrand and Sonny Milano, and defenseman Zach Werenski, the Monsters were able to look to veterans like defensemen Justin Faulk and Steve Eminger, as well as team captain and forward Ryan Craig for support. Craig stepped up and led the team with 10 assists during the playoffs, while Bjorkstrand showed his nose for the net with 10 goals in 17 games.
The performance marked not only their first league championship, but it was also the first time they had even won their conference.
Cleveland Cavaliers: 2016 NBA Champions
The Cavaliers had a storybook season, or at least the closest we have seen in a long time. It actually started with the long-awaited return of the prodigal son of Cleveland, Lebron James. For those who don’t know, James was born in nearby Akron, Ohio, and Cleveland drafted him number-one overall in the 2003 NBA draft. He took the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals but lost and went on to sign with the Miami Heat in 2010, where he won two titles. Four years later he came back to where it all started.
James and the Cavaliers went to the NBA Finals the season prior, but ended up losing to the Golden State Warriors and now two-time MVP Stephen Curry. So they came back re-tooled and ready to take the title, which is what they did. Through the entire regular season they would not lose more than five games in a single month, finishing with a 57-25 record, including a 33-8 record at home. They were helped by bringing in the likes of Mo Williams and Richard Jefferson in free agency, and Channing Frye during the year.
Though they hit a road block during the regular season when head coach David Blatt was fired and replaced with assistant coach Tyronn Lue, the Cavaliers powered their way into the playoffs as the number one seed in the Eastern Conference.
They would make a historic comeback in the Finals, winning three straight games to win the championship and get revenge on the Warriors.
King James had finally brought Cleveland the title he promised.
Cleveland Indians: 2016 World Series Champions?
Finally, we come to the incomplete part of the story: this year’s Cleveland Indians. They are a team that was meant to be good, not great. To be contenders, not champions. But they spent most, if not all, of 2016 defying the odds.
Helped by possibly the best pitching rotation in Major League Baseball, the Indians cruised into the playoffs and drew the Boston Red Sox in the first round. Unfortunately for the Tribe, two of their starters would go down with injuries, Carlos Carrasco for the season and Danny Salazar for the last month of the season and a majority of the playoffs, though he may be ready for a limited role during the World Series.
But this would not stop them, as they swept the Red Sox in three games and followed up with a four games to one series win in the American League Championship Series (ALCS) against the hot-hitting Toronto Blue Jays, whose bats went cold against Indians’ pitchers. Trade deadline acquisition Andrew Miller, a relief pitcher, contributed heavily to the series win, striking out 10 of the first 13 hitters he faced on his way to ALCS MVP honors.
The Indians took game one by shutting out the Cubs 3-0, but lost 5-1 in game two, knotting the series at 1-1.
Will the Indians topple the Chicago Cubs in a season some have labeled “the Cubs year?” I don’t know. But if they do, it will truly cement what 2016 already is: the best year in Cleveland sports history.
desantmj13@bonaventure.edu
