Indians, Cheered by Sausage, Feel at Home in Milwaukee
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MILWAUKEE, April 10 — Slider, the Cleveland Indians’ furry mascot, hung “K” signs from Bernie Brewer’s perch above the left-field bleachers and slid down his slide after a Kelly Shoppach home run. John Adams, the Indians’ famed drummer for more than 30 years, pounded out his familiar cadence in the right-field bleachers. And when the ubiquitous sausages raced around Miller Park after the sixth inning Tuesday night, the man who usually portrays the Italian sausage sat in the stands in a white Cleveland Indians jersey and tattered cap. John Lowther, 24, grew up in Youngstown, Ohio. He asked for the night off so he could cheer on his favorite American League team with his girlfriend, Erika Thompson. Another worker replaced him. All this because frigid conditions and the aftermath of a snowstorm at Jacobs Field necessitated a change of venue for the Indians’ three-game series with the Los Angeles Angels. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was Major League Baseball’s first neutral-site shift due to weather since Montreal and Florida played two games at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago on Sept. 13 and 14, 2004, because of Hurricane Ivan. Almost a foot of snow remained at Jacobs Field on Monday, when the Indians failed for the third consecutive day to play a single inning against Seattle. Friday’s home opener against the Mariners had to be postponed because of snow with the game one out from becoming official. “I’ve seen enough snow already for a year, maybe for a lifetime,” said Indians reliever Roberto Hernández, the former Met. The weather here wasn’t springlike either. But the closed roof kept conditions dry and playable, and the Indians won their first official game in five days, beating the Angels, 7-6. The outside temperature was 42 degrees at game time, with snow — what else? — in the forecast. More : nytimes.com |