KARL PEARSON
GENEVA-ON-THE-LAKE — Certainly, the fans who attend the annual Cleveland Indians Press Tour are the beneficiaries of a chance to get an early look at the prospects for their team and an opportunity to stoke up the hot stove for conversation about the Tribe even before spring training begins.
But the people who truly benefit from the event, which is sponsored by ESPN 970 WFUN, along with Ashtabula County Medical Center, Key Bank of Ashtabula, Sports ’N Sports in Ashtabula and Madison, Subway of Jefferson, Asa Cox Homes and Jeff’s Garage, are the scholar-athletes who receive awards from the ESPN 970 WFUN Scholarship Fund. In the two years that the scholarship program has previously existed, more than $16,000 has been awarded.
One of the chief funding sources for the scholarship fund is the proceeds from the Indians Press Tour. That’s particularly true of the auction of sports memorabilia held at the end of the press tour each year.
The auction at this year’s event, held Tuesday at the Lodge and Conference Center at Geneva-on-the-Lake, brought in $2,415 for nine items that were available.
The item that received the biggest response was a package of four seats in a press box booth at Progressive Field for the Indians game Aug. 8 against the defending AL Central Division champion Minnesota Twins. The winning bid of $500 was offered by Paul Muro, an Asa Cox Homes employee.
Muro said he did it “for charity.” Actually, it was largely at the urging of his son Cory, a sophomore at Riverside High School who was obviously the more enthusiastic Indians fan.
“I’m excited about (young outfielders) Michael Brantley and Matt LaPorta,” the 15-year-old, who also had the top bid of $130 on a game-used bat autographed by LaPorta, said. “I think on a scale of one to 10, the Indians’ chances this year are a 10.
“I feel they can make the playoffs. If they play like they did in 1994 and 1995, they can get to the World Series.”
Another popular item was a package of four lower field box seats and access to the field for batting practice for the July 17 game against the Detroit Tigers. That brought in a high bid of $475 from Sam Kopp of Massillon, who will used that package as a first anniversary present to his wife, Tracy, and perhaps even a late celebration of the birth of their first child, which is due April 13. The anticipated new arrival also has a younger stepbrother, 8-year-old Kyle. The Kopps were invited to the press tour by Larry Korovich of Ashtabula.
“I think they’ve got good young players,” Sam Kopp said. “I think they have a new coaching staff that’s going to bring good things.”
Other popular items were a package of four club seats to the Aug. 8 game against the Chicago White Sox that went for $350, a package of 16 seats in a suite at Classic Park to a Lake County Captains game that went for $325, a package of two lower level Cleveland Cavaliers tickets to their Feb. 9 game against the New Jersey Nets that went for $275 and an autographed Travis Hafner home game jersey from a Sunday contest that went for $190.
Not in the plan
Indians’ first-base coach Sandy Alomar didn’t exactly plan to be a coach for the Tribe once his playing days were over. He just followed a career path that happened to lead him back to a place he not only loved, but a place that loved him as well.
“(Coaching in Cleveland) wasn’t premeditated,” Alomar said. “I was just going to go wherever there was a job. I wanted to put myself somewhere I could develop as a coach.
“The Mets gave me an opportunity (two years ago). I wasn’t thinking that far ahead.”
When asked later by a member of the press tour crowd about coming back to Cleveland, Alomar had this to say:
“The opportunity to be here for more than one year was the main (reason I came back to Cleveland). In New York, it’s year-to-year. You get evaluated every year. I’m a person that likes to be in the same place for a long time. I try to be in the same place for a number of years.
“(New Indians) manager Manny (Acta) is a friend of my father’s, so I know him well, plus I had the opportunity to come back to a place I love. I played here for 11 years. How could I pass that up?”
Running man
Alomar was asked if the Indians would be more aggressive on the basepaths in 2010. And he was ready with an answer.
“I’m not going to be aggressive,” Alomar joked. “I can’t run.”
Faces in the crowd
Several people of note with area connections, especially those of the retirement set, were in evidence at the press tour.
Retired Lakeside High School athletic director and renowned basketball coach John Higgins and his wife, Phyllis, continued their patronage of the event. Phyllis Higgins is in her second year of retirement after a long tenure as an elementary teacher in Ashtabula Area City Schools.
Roby Potts, who has made many stops along the way in coaching a variety of sports, was at the press tour with two of his younger grandsons in tow. Potts is still in the coaching arena with the Braden Junior High eighth-grade girls basketball team.
Another old reliable, retired Pymatuning Valley athletic director Ron Weaver, was at his usual post selling all kinds of Indians gear in one of his retirement functions as a key member of the Indians team shop at Progressive Field.
Another PV stalwart, Rusty Webker, also attended and had a companion, longtime PV Jazz director Paul McCarty, along with him. McCarty has moved back to the Andover area from South Carolina and is tending to some rather serious health issues.
Also working the crowd at the press tour was perhaps one of the Indians’ most popular characters, Slider the mascot. Slider was quite active, posing for numerous pictures and hugging fans. Tribe relief pitcher Tony Sipp came in for a huge hug when he was introduced to the fans at the luncheon.
Staff writer Bob Ettinger contributed to this report.
