The Cleveland Guardians kicked off the 2026 American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox with more than just a shot at the pennant on the line.
The Guardians are working on the culmination of a project that’s been in the works for what seems like generations. Call it “operation narrative shift.”
A sustained run of competitive play and perennial contention for the pennant has lasted over a decade. It's a far cry from the "Cleveland curse" narrative that has plagued Northeast Ohio's sports teams for decades, though the Cleveland Cavaliers provided some temporary relief in 2016.
Avery Clowes is a 19-year-old Guardians fan from Columbus who attended Saturday's ALDS Game 1 with her mom.
“I think it’s kind of like a thing in Ohio, all of our sports do bad and stuff, so having a team that now we expect to be good is so important,” Clowes said.
Dave Aldape is a White Sox fan from Florida. He also sees Cleveland shedding its “That’s so Ohio” reputation when it comes to sports.
“Cleveland’s extremely competitive. I would say they’re probably the top dog in the Central,” Aldape said. “I think we try to model it after them. I would say we’re more peers than anything at this moment.”
Cleveland won the American League Central division this year, finishing one game ahead of the White Sox.
Ben McGary, a lifelong White Sox fan from the South Side of Chicago, was less charitable with his comparison of the two teams.
“Nobody’s equal to the Sox,” McGary said with a laugh. “That’s it, nobody.”
One of Cleveland’s symbols of sports resilience, retired Cleveland Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar, also attended Saturday's game. Kosar received an ovation from the crowd in the fifth inning when he was shown on the scoreboard. For many in Cleveland, Kosar represents a bygone era of sports excellence that fans hope has returned to the city.
Dustin Rose is lifelong Cleveland baseball fan who gave Guardians ownership and management “their flowers,” as he put it, citing the new floor expectation that the team will be competitive every season.
“I’m happy that they won the AL Central, and anything they do other than that is bonus time for me,” Rose said.
A sellout crowd of 34,287 was on hand Saturday for a tough 3-0 loss for the Guardians, who couldn’t get their offense going. But Rose was optimistic for Game 2, noting that the team is more consistent and has set a standard he hasn’t seen since his youth.
“I grew up with the '90s Tribe,” Rose said. "They ruined my expectations for every sports team in Cleveland forever.”
Game 2 of the ALDS between the Guardians and White Sox takes place in Cleveland Monday. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.
