On the face of it, Tuesday night was just another game at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario on a late June evening. At the heart of it, Tuesday night at Progressive Field was a celebration of the Indians' past.
One of Cleveland’s all-time local heroes, Omar Vizquel, was home.
Omar was an integral part of the great Indians teams of the late ‘90s that consistently were in contention for World Series titles.
These were teams that won over the hearts of a town yearning for a contender. Before this era of Indians baseball, the last time the Indians had won any sort of title, it was 1954 - 41 years before Omar Vizquel and the Indians would make it to their first World Series appearance.
Despite the fact that throughout the next decade the Indians would never fulfill their dreams of winning the big game, this team and its stars would endear themselves to the city.
The fans responded by selling out an all-time record 455 straight games, and buying up millions of dollars in memorabilia with their favorite Indians players' name on it.
On a team full of sluggers that would become Hall of Fame worthy, it is hard to believe that the smallest player on the team would come out of the group with the most appreciation of the fan base. He is also the one player from those teams that will likely have his number retired by the organization.
As these Indians teams began to split apart, guys like Albert Belle, Manny Ramirez, and Jim Thome all would leave town for the big money that free agency afforded them. They left town, breaking many Clevelanders' hearts.
Meanwhile, the Cleveland faithful continued to latch on to “Little-O.” He was a representation of the city. He was the little guy fighting to be recognized for his immense talents, just as the city was fighting to revitalize itself and be rid of the “Mistake by the Lake” moniker.
Even though Vizquel was in the midst of winning his 11 Gold Gloves, second only to the great Ozzie Smith, he had to fight to be considered one of the leagues best shortstops. He played in a new era of baseball, where 6’5'' shortstops that could hit for power were coming into the league. He was the old guard, a shortstop known for his glove and not his bat.
Because of this, he only appeared in three All-Star games, as the fans around the league voted for the new “sexy” stars like Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Nomar Garciaparra.
He would continue to be underappreciated, but that didn’t matter to the fans in Cleveland who continued to wear his jerseys and support him as their own.
Defensively, we all know of Vizquel’s tremendous talent.
He has an uncanny ability to position himself in the right place at the right time, and to always get the runner by half a step. He utilizes great footwork and a pair of soft hands as his tools.
It is said that he had learned to play this way because he had no glove to use when growing up in Venezuela. He had to learn to be able to field the ball without the glove to make the play. Thus, that is why he has also become known as the best player at the bare handed grab and throw to get runners.
Vizquel currently holds the highest career fielding percentage by a shortstop with more than 1,000 games played with a .984 mark. He also holds three of the top seven single season fielding percentages by a shortstop and as said before, has won 11 Gold Gloves. He is the first player in history to win multiple Gold Gloves in both the American and National Leagues.
Offensively, Vizquel is not as recognized, but that does not mean that he was not a great hitter.
He was a great two-hole hitter behind another Indians great, Kenny Lofton. The two of them at the top of the lineup put all sorts of pressure on pitchers as the big bats coming to the plate.
Kenny would get on first base and Omar was able to work the pitcher to allow Kenny to steal, or with his great bunting ability, he would try one of his great drag bunts to attempt for a bunt single while advancing the runner.
Vizquel also had a knack for clutch hits. I have etched into my mind his ability to line a ball down into either corner for a double or triple while clearing the bases for a big hit.
The biggest came during the 2001 season, when the Indians completed the biggest come-from-behind win in Major League history. After the Indians trailed 14-2 in the seventh inning against the Mariners, Vizquel had the tying hit with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. It was a bases clearing triple into the right field corner. The Indians would go on to win the game in the eleventh inning, 15-14.
Overall, Vizquel has a respectable .274 career batting average, which he amassed over 2,600 career hits, which ranks him eighth all-time for switch hitters, with over 400 doubles. He also had 382 stolen bases.
All together, the debate roars on whether he will be Hall of Fame worthy or not, but this is of no concern to Vizquel, who continues to focus on his playing career and helping the Giants win.
At 41 years old, Vizquel is clearly slowing down - he was hitting .171 entering Tuesday night - and he had knee surgery in spring training. But he says he still feels young inside and wants to continue playing into next season.
That should not surprise us. Vizquel is a battler. He has been battling for 20 years, why stop now?
So when he was greeted by 29,000 of his closest friends on Tuesday night, that is why he received a full minute standing ovation as he was announced to the crowd. He is one of them. Someone who will always try for more and fight for what he wants.
And what he wants is to continue playing the game he loves. That’s the way it should always be.
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3 months ago
Very well done Michael, aside from the fact we played an awful game, how was that atmosphere?
3 months ago
Congrats, Michael! I will reinforce what Nino said; "What was it like?"
3 months ago
Thanks guys! It was an amazing time last night covering the game. You dream of being able to do what I just did. I attended the Omar press conference, was able to be at Wedges pre-game conference in the dugout, go on the field to take pictures of batting practice, eat dinner a table away from Bob Feller and Jon Miller, and then after the game go back down into the locker rooms. I hope to do an article detailing my day within the next couple of days. It is hard to explain it all right here.
Anyway, too bad the Indians lost, but it really didn't matter much. It was ironic that Omar brought the fans to the park for his tribute, but also sent them home with his game-winning squeeze bunt. Only Omar could go 0-3 and still beat you. Thats why I love the little guy.
3 months ago
Well stated, Michael.
3 months ago
I fell in love with baseball because of the Indians teams of the '90s, and Vizquel was a big (if not the biggest) part of that. In my mind, he is without a doubt the best defensive shortstop of all time, and an underrated hitter who, as you rightly pointed out, was fantastic in the clutch and an excellent base runner.
His actions on the field earned my admiration, but it was his actions off the field that made him my favorite player ever. Vizquel recognized the loyalty and passion of Cleveland fans. My favorite "Omar Moment" came during the parade after we lost the '97 world series. The players were at the back of the parade in a bus with tinted windows, out of reach of the droves of fans gathered in downtown Cleveland. When the bus passed us, a window opened and out popped none other than Omar. He leaned out of the bus, high-fived us as they drove past, and just kept saying "thank you" over and over.
To me, it was a little thing that said a lot. This was a city that threw a parade for a team that LOST the world series. It was like he was acknowledging the fans as a part of it all. Omar was the guy who didn't want a tinted window between him and the 10th man.
Great article Michael, and your experience covering the game sounds amazing! Can't wait to read your forthcoming article about it!
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