University School revives Opening Day tradition
By Pat Galbincea, The Plain Dealer
April 12, 2010, 9:00PM
US.jpgThomas Ondrey, The Plain DealerUniversity School students enjoy the Indians home opener Monday at Progressive Field. From left are: Morgan Karon, Sandy Cohn, Spencer Krantz, Stefan Leonard and Eli Weisblat.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Even before the first pitch, the day was made for a group of first-graders taking in Monday's Indians home opener.
The traditional Opening Day pageantry of reds, whites and blues etched on the field of green is what the youngsters from University School will remember.
Jay Jarvis, 7, couldn't stop talking about the giant American flag carried onto the field.
"I loved that flag and the stars that were also there," said Jay, of Cleveland. "I thought I'd be happy just seeing Slider [the Indians mascot]. What I wonder is how they got that flag cut out."
The patriotic colors presented in a different form got to Nicholas Nordell, 7.
"I go crazy over balloons," said the Gates Mills resident, "and it was cool when they launched them."
Nicholas had a great perch from which to watch the balloons drift out of Progressive Field. The 15 pupils sat in Section 575, way up and out in left field, in the general direction the wind carried the balloons.
The first-graders were at the game in part as a revival of a University School tradition. From 1890 to 1926, the school was on Hough Avenue, on Cleveland's East Side. Nearby was League Park, where the Indians played.
Starting in 1909, the school closed on Opening Day to let students and teachers attend the game. The practice continued even after both the Indians and the school moved out of the neighborhood. The Indians went downtown, and the school headed for Shaker Heights. In 1969 -- the year before US added a campus in Hunting Valley for its older students -- the school changed its policy and required staffers and students to have game tickets to get the day off, said Dick Parke, a University School math teacher and graduate.
The trip to Progressive Field was folded into the integrated theme curriculum the all-male private school has in its lower grades, said teacher Diane Meister. The first grade's current theme is Cleveland, with a focus on how sports developed as the city grew.
The idea on Monday was to participate as the community came together for a common goal -- to cheer the home nine to victory, and to see that it takes a whole lot of workers to make a sports team successful.
It was the first field trip for the kids. "We didn't have to twist any arms for them to go," said teacher Madeline Yano.
They took the rapid transit to the game, and had several interesting experiences.
Those sitting in Row R had to scramble in the third inning when a fan behind them spilled his beer. Luckily, nobody got an unwanted baptism.
Student Spencer Krantz, of Pepper Pike, was chewing on nachos at the end of the first inning, and lost a baby tooth that he was quick to display. Could that have prompted another tradition Monday night -- a visit from the tooth fairy?
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Pitching coach Belcher says Fausto Carmona deserves credit for strong start: Indians Insider
Pitching coach Belcher says Fausto Carmona deserves credit for strong start: Indians Insider
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer
April 12, 2010, 10:29PM
Chuck Crow / The Plain Dealer“In my first game, I was too quick [in the delivery]," said Fausto Carmona after Monday's game. "I know I’ve struggled against this team, so I tried to throw more strikes.” CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Pitching coach Tim Belcher says he's an innocent bystander in a productive spring training and two good starts in the regular season by Fausto Carmona.
"To be honest with you, I stand behind Fausto when he's throwing his bullpens and count pitches," said Belcher. "When he's got good tempo, when he's got good mechanics as far as staying back over the rubber, I say, 'Good boy.' When he doesn't, I don't say anything.
"He's done a good job self-correcting himself. He's done most of it himself."
The Indians lost Monday's home opener to Texas, 4-2, in 10 innings. Carmona was not involved in the decision, pitching eight strong innings. He held the Rangers to two runs on five hits in 111 pitches. He did walk four, giving him 10 for the season, but he was the first Tribe starter to reach eight innings.
"I felt good today," said Carmona, 1-0 with a 3.21 ERA. "In my first game, I was too quick [in his delivery]. I know I've struggled against this team, so I tried to throw more strikes."
The Rangers are 6-2 against Carmona.
Out again: Grady Sizemore missed his second straight game with a stiff back Monday. The back tightened Sunday in Detroit while he was hitting in the cages.
It was a fast ball: Hall of Famer Bob Feller, the winningest pitcher in Indians history, threw out the first pitch to first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. Feller and the Indians were celebrating the 70th anniversary of his opening day no-hitter on April 16, 1940.
No dice: Indians went 0-3 in home openers in the first seven games of the season. They lost openers in Chicago and Detroit before losing their own.
Fast start: Catching prospect Carlos Santana finished his first week at Class AAA Columbus by winning the International League's Player of the Week Award. Santana, in his first four games, hit .438 with four homers and eight RBI.
More ice, please: Catcher Mike Redmond is not going to feel good on Tuesday morning. Redmond, Carmona's personal catcher, was hit above the left knee cap and right thigh on foul tips off the bat of catcher Taylor Teagarden in the fifth inning.
In the seventh inning, Teagarden hit him in the right shoulder with a foul tip.
"I told him, 'What did I ever do to you?'" said Redmond.
Wild pitches: When Manny Acta was asked before Monday's game about closer Chris Perez criticizing catcher Lou Marson for not stopping a wild pitch in the ninth inning Sunday against Detroit, Acta said, "My energy is focused on today's game, not comments from [Sunday]."
In Sunday's 9-8 loss, Perez wild-pitched the winning run home in the ninth.
Keep it short: When asked if Shin-Soo Choo forgot how many out there were when he took off from first on Travis Hafner's routine fly ball with one out in the third, Acta simply said, "Yes."
Homecoming: Former Indians first baseman Ryan Garko returned to Progressive Field for the first time since the Tribe dealt him to San Francisco last season. He pinch-hit in ninth inning with the bases loaded and popped up to second.
Since then Garko has been on the move, signing with Seattle in February before being claimed off waivers by Texas on April 1.
"It's good to be back," he said before Monday's opener. "I had a lot of great memories here. I loved it here. I played hard, felt I left it on the field, you know, but it'll be weird coming out of the other dugout, that's for sure."
Finally: Actor Corbin Bernsen, who, among other roles, played third baseman Roger Dorn in "Major League," will throw the ceremonial first pitch before Saturday's game against Chicago. He's in town producing a film to help save the financially struggling Soap Box Derby. ... After addressing a throng of reporters in his office after Monday home opener, Acta said, "I expect to see each and everyone of you back here Wednesday." There will be significantly fewer reporters and fans for Wednesday's game.
Staff writer Bill Lubinger contributed to this
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer
April 12, 2010, 10:29PM
Chuck Crow / The Plain Dealer“In my first game, I was too quick [in the delivery]," said Fausto Carmona after Monday's game. "I know I’ve struggled against this team, so I tried to throw more strikes.” CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Pitching coach Tim Belcher says he's an innocent bystander in a productive spring training and two good starts in the regular season by Fausto Carmona.
"To be honest with you, I stand behind Fausto when he's throwing his bullpens and count pitches," said Belcher. "When he's got good tempo, when he's got good mechanics as far as staying back over the rubber, I say, 'Good boy.' When he doesn't, I don't say anything.
"He's done a good job self-correcting himself. He's done most of it himself."
The Indians lost Monday's home opener to Texas, 4-2, in 10 innings. Carmona was not involved in the decision, pitching eight strong innings. He held the Rangers to two runs on five hits in 111 pitches. He did walk four, giving him 10 for the season, but he was the first Tribe starter to reach eight innings.
"I felt good today," said Carmona, 1-0 with a 3.21 ERA. "In my first game, I was too quick [in his delivery]. I know I've struggled against this team, so I tried to throw more strikes."
The Rangers are 6-2 against Carmona.
Out again: Grady Sizemore missed his second straight game with a stiff back Monday. The back tightened Sunday in Detroit while he was hitting in the cages.
It was a fast ball: Hall of Famer Bob Feller, the winningest pitcher in Indians history, threw out the first pitch to first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. Feller and the Indians were celebrating the 70th anniversary of his opening day no-hitter on April 16, 1940.
No dice: Indians went 0-3 in home openers in the first seven games of the season. They lost openers in Chicago and Detroit before losing their own.
Fast start: Catching prospect Carlos Santana finished his first week at Class AAA Columbus by winning the International League's Player of the Week Award. Santana, in his first four games, hit .438 with four homers and eight RBI.
More ice, please: Catcher Mike Redmond is not going to feel good on Tuesday morning. Redmond, Carmona's personal catcher, was hit above the left knee cap and right thigh on foul tips off the bat of catcher Taylor Teagarden in the fifth inning.
In the seventh inning, Teagarden hit him in the right shoulder with a foul tip.
"I told him, 'What did I ever do to you?'" said Redmond.
Wild pitches: When Manny Acta was asked before Monday's game about closer Chris Perez criticizing catcher Lou Marson for not stopping a wild pitch in the ninth inning Sunday against Detroit, Acta said, "My energy is focused on today's game, not comments from [Sunday]."
In Sunday's 9-8 loss, Perez wild-pitched the winning run home in the ninth.
Keep it short: When asked if Shin-Soo Choo forgot how many out there were when he took off from first on Travis Hafner's routine fly ball with one out in the third, Acta simply said, "Yes."
Homecoming: Former Indians first baseman Ryan Garko returned to Progressive Field for the first time since the Tribe dealt him to San Francisco last season. He pinch-hit in ninth inning with the bases loaded and popped up to second.
Since then Garko has been on the move, signing with Seattle in February before being claimed off waivers by Texas on April 1.
"It's good to be back," he said before Monday's opener. "I had a lot of great memories here. I loved it here. I played hard, felt I left it on the field, you know, but it'll be weird coming out of the other dugout, that's for sure."
Finally: Actor Corbin Bernsen, who, among other roles, played third baseman Roger Dorn in "Major League," will throw the ceremonial first pitch before Saturday's game against Chicago. He's in town producing a film to help save the financially struggling Soap Box Derby. ... After addressing a throng of reporters in his office after Monday home opener, Acta said, "I expect to see each and everyone of you back here Wednesday." There will be significantly fewer reporters and fans for Wednesday's game.
Staff writer Bill Lubinger contributed to this
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