CLEVELAND -- The adopted Clevelander went deep, and the native Clevelander went nuts.
As José Ramírez rounded the bases for his most definitive Progressive Field moment yet, Travis Kelce shot out of his seat on the suite level, bounced up and down with his childhood buddies and then held out his arms and let out a roar.
This was a snapshot to savor from the crazy American League Division Series comeback the Guardians completed with a 2-0 victory over the White Sox in Game 5 on Saturday night. And for the Cleveland Heights-raised Kelce, who took on a minority ownership stake in the Guards earlier this season, it was a moment that was more than money can buy.
“It was,” Kelce said later, “one of the coolest moments of my life.”
Coming from a three-time Super Bowl champ who just married the biggest pop star on the planet, that’s saying something.
But yes, something special just happened here.
It was one thing when the Guardians made their now-customary late-season surge to the top of the AL Central. But now, they’ve become only the 11th team to rally from an 0-2 hole in a best-of-five playoff series to win it. And only the fourth to do so after losing the first two games at home.
They’re headed to the American League Championship Series against the Rays riding something more than just momentum. It’s something cinematic, and it can’t hurt that the Guardians are now connected to a Cleveland native who has achieved both historic athletic dominance and unusual pop culture omnipresence.
You might even say they’ve been taken to “New Heights.”
“This team has camaraderie,” Kelce said. “You can see how much energy they have for each other, how much love they have for each other. And that’s hard to beat. I’ve been around a lot of good, good teams, and one of the core things that I know that I can see from a distance is how much each one loves each other’s success. And man, that just makes you want to be a part of it. Or if you’re not a part of it, it really makes you want to cheer for them.”
Shortly before he tied the knot with Taylor Swift, Kelce had been scheduled to attend a game at Progressive Field and throw out a ceremonial first pitch, a celebration of his ownership stake. Rain got in the way and postponed that game. But he still made time for fans outside the player parking lot that day, signing autographs and taking photos.
Game 5, which paired perfectly with the Chiefs’ bye week, was Kelce’s first real opportunity to soak up what it means to have a stake in this squad.
“I was very fortunate that I came out of [last Sunday’s win over the Raiders] healthy enough,” he said. “I knew I wasn’t going to be able to make it to Game 2 on Monday, but I told myself that if it went to Game 5, I owe it to my inner Cleveland childhood fan to make it here for the finale. And sure enough, the Guards didn’t disappoint.”
Sure didn’t.
Coming off a series-shifting performance on the South Side, the Guardians returned home and rode the wave of Gavin Williams’ 12-strikeout performance in which he didn’t allow a hit until two outs into the sixth. And when Ramírez somehow golfed a low -- and by that, we mean extremely low -- curveball just over the right-field wall to provide the game’s only runs, it was pure pandemonium from the home crowd.
Including the Guards’ “Chief” fan.
“It was what we know José to be, man,” said Kelce, who wore a Ramírez jersey to the game. “He’s been nothing but an All-Star both on this field and in the community, and to see him put this stadium in a frenzy and ignite everyone was amazing.”
Ramírez is the ultra-rare star who stayed in Cleveland, signing multiple extensions that will cement his status as perhaps the best position player in franchise history.
This is a town that too often watches that kind of story play out elsewhere. Or watches a hometown kid like Kelce go from third-round Draft pick to future Hall of Fame tight end not with the Browns, but the Chiefs.
So a moment of pure joy provided by a pure star means a little more around here. The Guardians were on the other side of the last 0-2 Division Series comeback, not to mention so many other collapses that have traumatized this fan base.
Saturday’s result, then, was not just historically significant for MLB, but psychologically significant for Cleveland sports fans.
Again, though, as hokey as it may sound, what if Kelce’s investment brought the Guards, who also added another minority investor from the NFL in the form of Nordonia-raised Browns cornerback Denzel Ward, something other than extra cash?
Kelce’s been described by his famous bride as having “depth without darkness.” She’s called him a “vibe booster” and “human exclamation point” who lights up a room with his genuine warmth.
In the aftermath of the Guardians’ big win, it oozed off him as he smiled and spoke reverently about his past experiences in this ballpark.
“I remember being in this stadium when Sandy Alomar hit that home run in the 1997 All-Star Game,” he said. “And as a kid to now, seeing these historical moments here in Progressive Field -- and it was Jacobs Field when I was a younger kid -- I’m such a fortunate person to be a Cleveland fan and see all this greatness.”
The Guardians are trying to end a World Series championship drought that is older than Travis Kelce’s parents. So they could use the power of positivity. And as they venture off to St. Petersburg and the ALCS, their most famous fan is offering it up.
“I’m Cleveland through and through,” Kelce said. “I’ve been over there in Kansas City and giving my all for that city. But my childhood and my heart and my desire and my love for sports is always going be based here in Cleveland.”