Philadelphia Phillies Look to Rock ‘n’ Roll Over the Cleveland Indians


The Jake

David Richard – USA TODAY Sports

In less than five minutes, you can drive the one-plus mile from Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Indians, to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame. Both are located in downtown Cleveland.

If the Philadelphia Phillies continue their winning ways in this two-game series, there will be some rocking going on 400-plus miles to the east. It’s a distance you could almost drive in the total time it will take to play these two games.

This isn’t a make-or-break series for either team by any means. Yet, there’s no denying the Phillies are on a roll. It comes at a perfect time.

Fresh off a sweep of the New York Mets, the Phillies are primed for a winning streak that should last throughout the week. With games against the Indians and Miami Marlins, the fruit is definitely ripe for picking.

Meanwhile, the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals are in a head-to-head, four-game series which will hopefully will bring one of them closer in the standings to the Phils. Add all this together and the end result is one that favors the “Fightens”.

Ever since Lebron James left Cleveland for the sunny shores of Miami in 2010, the city has suffered a sports identity crisis. Progressive Field itself, seems to be caught in this dilemma as well.

Ranked as MLB‘s best ballpark in 2008 by a Sports Illustrated fan opinion poll, the Indian’s home field was originally named Jacob’s Field after the team’s owners. From 1994-2008, fans knew it as “The Jake”. Then in 2008, the ballpark’s name was changed to Progressive Field after the insurance company of the same name.

However, most fans still refer to it as “The Jake” while a minority call it “The Pro” or “The Prog”. Really?

Maybe they should have left the original name in place as “The Jake” set a major league record between June 12, 1995 and April 4, 2001 by selling out 455 straight games. Ticket demand during this period was so intense that all 81 home games were sold out prior to opening day for five separate seasons.

Since then, the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park has exceeded the Indians sellout record, reaching 820 games before recently ending on April 10. In comparison, the Phillies’ Citizen’s Bank Park sellout streak ended at 257 games last August.

No matter though, because the only streak that currently means something is the Phillies’ win streak. Rock On!

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