The Cavs are champs and the Indians are in first

Monday’s Say Hey, Baseball recognizes Ohio’s great sports day, a ridiculous weekend in the College World Series, and an abysmal time for the White Sox.

by Marc Normandin

Jun 20, 2016, 12:50 PM UTC

Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images

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It was a great day for Ohio sports on Sunday. The Cleveland Cavaliers became the first team to ever come back from 3-1 down in the NBA Finals to win it all, and in the process took home their first-ever championship in franchise history. Cincinnati’s Dean Ambrose won both WWE’s Money in the Bank ladder match and then his first (and long awaited) WWE World Heavyweight Championship later on in the evening, shortly after the Cavs’ victory. Not to be forgotten, the Cleveland Indians won their third game in a row, sweeping the White Sox with an extra-innings, walk-off single to keep a hold of first place in the AL Central over the defending champion Royals.

While the Cavs had never won a title before, they were only founded in 1970. OK, “only” founded in 1970. The Indians last won the World Series in 1948, though, and that was just the second championship for the organization, one that began in 1901. Since ‘48, Cleveland has dropped the World Series three times, lost an ALCS they were up 3-1 in when the Red Sox outscored them 30-5 over the last three games, and then lost their only other playoff appearance since 2007 in the Wild Card round. They’re looking good this year despite the loss of their best player, Michael Brantley, thanks to strong pitching and homegrown players, and that sort of thing can quickly erase a history of failure.

They still have a long way to go to match the feat of their NBA cousins, of course, but the Indians are looking like a viable threat in the American League. A tweak here and there, the eventual return of Brantley and a rotation that has been dominant even without Corey Kluber doing Corey Kluber things should give them a chance to stay on top in 2016. It’s a long season, though, and Cleveland knows maybe better than anyone what chances usually get you. Maybe it’s a new time in Ohio, though. After all, the Cavs are the champs now, and so is Ambrose. Why not the Indians next?

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