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Full slate of stars on hand for Tribe Fest this weekend

Kluber, Brantley among Indians attending annual fan event

CLEVELAND -- In less than one month, Cleveland's pitchers and catchers will convene on sun-splashed Arizona baseball diamonds, reporting for the start of Spring Training. In the team's snow-covered home city, fans are about to get a sneak peek at the Indians team that is assembled for the upcoming campaign.

The third annual Tribe Fest is set to take place on Saturday and Sunday at Progressive Field, where a long list of events and activities will give attendees the opportunity to interact with players, coaches, alumni and other personnel in anticipation of the 2015 season. The Indians firmly believe that the roster in place is fully capable of a run at the playoffs this year.

"You can't wait to see how things unfold," Indians manager Terry Francona said this week.

General admission tickets are still available for Tribe Fest, which includes three sessions: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. ET on Saturday, 4 p.m.-8 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets for kids (age 12 and under) are free with the purchase of an adult ticket online, compared to $5 at the door on the days of the event. The Indians are also offering a limited number of $3 parking tickets in the Gateway East structure through online purchases.

Autograph sessions can be purchased separately online, but most of the Saturday sessions are sold out. There are still plenty of autograph tickets available for Sunday, though the purchase does not guarantee a specific current or former player.

Visit indians.com/tribefest for more information about tickets, parking, autograph sessions and the activities planned for the two-day event.

This year's event will feature many of the Tribe's current players, including American League Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber and AL Most Valuable Player finalist Michael Brantley. Other players scheduled to make an appearance include Cody Allen, Michael Bourn, Yan Gomes, Jason Kipnis, Brandon Moss, Carlos Santana and Nick Swisher, among others.

Former players Sandy Alomar Jr., Paul Assenmacher, Dennis Martinez and Charles Nagy will be on hand as well. On Saturday, they will sit down with Indians radio announcer Jim Rosenhaus for a roundtable discussion about the 1995 season, when Cleveland won the AL pennant and faced the Braves in the World Series.

Other events on Saturday include: a "State of the Franchise" discussion with Francona and general manager Chris Antonetti; a presentation to honor Mentor of the Year winners Ned Barnes and Michael Gong of the Carroll Ballers and John Carroll University; a catching presentation by Alomar and Tribe players; a look at the ongoing Progressive Field renovations project; and a "Tribe Feud" game hosted by local comedian Mike Polk Jr., featuring fans and players.

Sunday's events include: a chat with Indians president Mark Shapiro; players competing in a "Minute to Win it" game; a pitching presentation with Indians pitching coach Mickey Callaway and players; and a chat with Indians radio voice Tom Hamilton and the Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto about their book, "Glory Days in Tribe Town."

Tribe Fest will also have a variety of stations and activities, including tours of the home clubhouse, games for kids, a look inside the Tribe's batting cages and much more. Fans who check in with MLB.com's Ballpark app will be eligible for prizes during the event, and anyone interested in receiving text alerts throughout the event should text "TRIBEFEST" to 38955 (messaging and data rates may apply).

Jordan Bastian is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Major League Bastian, and follow him on Twitter @MLBastian.
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