By: Catrina Leone
Spring is finally here! It may not feel like it today, but it is on its way. April is a month for warm weather, more sunshine and of course, baseball! Cleveland is the sports town, from the Indians, Cavs and Browns to the Gladiators, we have the best teams. It would only be fitting to have two home openers on the same day: The Indians vs. Minnesota, as well as the Cleveland Gladiators vs. Pittsburgh Power.
Let’s start with the Indians, who had an amazing season last year (and can definitely do it again this year) As I mentioned before, nothing says Spring like baseball, Tribe baseball. Fans are patiently awaiting the start of the season, with only 11 days remaining until the big game. No surprise though that it is sold out! The game sold out in 15 minutes, marking the 22nd consecutive home opener sellout and the 21st at Progressive Field, which opened 20 years ago in 1994. One thing remains throughout the past 20 years, we sure have some die-hard fans in our city!
Since the Indians in 2009 moved the initial on-sale date to Spring, opening day sellouts have become official on March 30th (2009), April 8th (2010), March 24th (2011), March 15th (2012) and February 25th (2013). This year, the initial on-sale date was pushed a week later than last year’s. I’m sure there are still fans wishing to attend opening day, which you can still do by becoming a Season Ticket holder. Season ticket holders will once again save over 40% on average of Single-Game ticket purchasers in 2014.
Single-Game tickets remain available for other 2014 games, which include: May 3 vs. Chicago; May 31st, vs. Oakland, June 3rd vs. Boston, June 21st vs. Detroit, July 5 vs. Kansas City, and July 8th vs. New York. This season is already looking like a great one, all there is to say is, ROLL TRIBE:)
If you have been able to contain your excitement this long, the Cleveland Gladiators’ home opener is also April 4th! This game is against the Pittsburgh Power, who the Gladiators hope to rally to stop. These two teams both finished 4-14 last year, but this season opener provides an opportunity for one of those squads to gain some hope that 2014 might be better.
It did not always appear like the case, but the Cleveland Gladiators were able to take full advantage of that chance. Quarterback Chris Dieker accounted for 9 total touchdowns, as the Gladiators overcame a 17-point-quarter deficit to get a 63-53 victory against the Pittsburgh Power earlier in the month. Chris stated, “With it being a road victory, especially being here in Pittsburgh, it is big for us. The guys all played great-defenseive, offensive line, wide receivers. People really stepped up today and it was exciting to see.”
Dieker, now in his second season with the franchise, doesn’t know what the rest of the season will bring, but he couldn’t be happier with the early results. The Gladiators are off to a great start as well, April 4th is going to be a big day for sports in Cleveland, so of course, Christian Patterson will be there to get the scoop, stay tuned to TV20 for more on sports, as well as other stories in our area.
