CLEVELAND -- One of the first messages from Cleveland’s brass to Sandy Alomar Jr., Carlos Baerga and Chris James proved clairvoyant after the trio joined the organization in a trade from San Diego in December 1989
“What the [Cleveland] front office told us was, ‘You guys are here to rebuild this organization,’” Alomar recalled. “I looked at the records of the past few years and was like, ‘Oh.’ … But that was the beginning of the renaissance of the new Cleveland Indians at that time, and I felt that responsibility.”
Cleveland produced just 10 winning seasons in 35 years from 1955-89, following its ‘54 American League-pennant winning campaign. Alomar viewed his arrival as an opportunity, and he ultimately helped usher in the golden age of Cleveland baseball. In doing so, he played a key role in the club’s looming major achievement.
The Guardians enter Friday with an all-time record of 9,996-9,497. They're four victories away from becoming the third team to reach the 10,000-win milestone, among those established since 1900, following the Red Sox and Yankees. You’d be hard-pressed to find many people who have been around for more of the winning than Alomar, who's now Cleveland's first-base coach.
Between his 11-year playing career (1990-2000) and his 17-year coaching tenure (2010-present) Alomar has been part of the Cleveland organization for 2,287 of its 9,996 wins. Put another way, the former catcher has been here for nearly a quarter (22.9 percent) of those victories.
“That is insane. I feel honored that I've been part of this organization for that long,” Alomar said. “I enjoy being here. I'm glad they made me a part of the organization, and I feel blessed.”
Alomar was a central figure with Cleveland in the 1990s. He helped the ballclub earn five straight postseason berths (1995-99) and win two American League pennants (‘95, ‘97), which created lifelong memories for fans in Northeast Ohio.
The 1995 season also delivered one of the most memorable wins in franchise history, and one of Alomar's personal favorites, on Sept. 8, against the Orioles. When third baseman Jim Thome snagged a foul pop hit by Baltimore’s Jeff Huson, Cleveland clinched the AL Central, which marked the franchise’s first title since it won the pennant 41 years prior.
“That out and that game meant the world to us because that was a lot of years of hard work and dedication,” Alomar said. "It erased all those years of failure to have the opportunity to be back in the playoffs. Then on top of that, we went to the World Series, so that was the cherry on top. … No personal accolade means more than clinching games.”
Alomar, of course, memorably celebrated both in 1997. His eighth-inning home run off Yankees closer Mariano Rivera in Game 4 of the ALDS helped Cleveland force a Game 5 -- which it won to advance to the ALCS. The club then beat Baltimore to clinch the pennant.
"That particular game meant a lot to us because we were on the brink of elimination," Alomar said. "We came back from the dead."
Cleveland stamped its arrival in 1995, but Alomar noted how its turnaround was becoming evident in ‘93 and ‘94. Cleveland went 76-86 and 66-47 those seasons. It led the AL Wild Card race and was just one game behind AL Central-leading Chicago in '94, before a players’ strike cut the season short.
Cleveland had a budding young cast that included players such as Alomar, Baerga and starter Charles Nagy, all of whom signed a contract extension in 1992. The lineup included stars Thome, Albert Belle, Kenny Lofton, Manny Ramirez and Omar Vizquel, among others. Later additions such as Eddie Murray, Dennis Martinez, Tony Peña and Orel Hershiser helped mold it all together.
"It was incredible," Alomar said of the '90s run.
Cleveland never fully reached the mountaintop during Alomar’s playing career. It has enjoyed another run of sustained success since he rejoined the organization in November 2009 as a coach. Last season marked the Guardians' eighth postseason berth since '13.
As much as time has passed since Alomar first joined Cleveland, some things have not changed. The goal, as he noted, is to keep a group of talented players together for the long run.
And ultimately, the top objective remains winning the World Series for the first time since 1948.
“That's why we keep knocking on that door,” Alomar said. “We have to keep knocking and pushing. I’ve been in the game for a long time, and I’ve only been in the World Series with Cleveland. … Unfortunately, we haven't sealed the deal. But if you keep knocking, eventually you're gonna get one.”