Who are the Indians Rivals?

[sportsprof101]

Hello Cleveland Fans

With the help of message board members beginning in 2014, we—the students and professors of the Know Rivalry Project—began answering this question and others related to rivalry in the MLB. Please help us update and expand our results to ensure that the Cleveland Indians are included by taking 9 minutes to complete our newest survey:

https://umassamherst.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3FdJ8eN2EgFCfCB?mbsrc=krdir&grpID=1368

We hope to start the rivalry discussion here. Fan data helps us to study rivalries that exist between teams, players, and fans.

Our previous results have been featured in numerous sports media outlets, as well as the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. You can view those results, links to media coverage, and learn more about us at our KnowRivalry.com website BUT we'd prefer you didn't until you completed the survey via the link above... we don't want to influence your opinions provided in the survey.

We use the Qualtrics online survey software for data collection. This academic research has been approved by two US universities' Institutional Review Boards (IRB) and it poses no risks to respondents. You'll find more information on the disclosure agreement that is required to start the survey. Thank you for helping us to include the Cleveland Indians by participating and please share this with any other fans that may also help.

And of course, make sure to check out our data and surveys for your other favorite teams including the Browns and Cavs

Jonah, Student Researcher, Northern Kentucky University
Dr. Joe Cobbs, Northern Kentucky University
Dr. David Tyler, University of Massachusetts—Amherst

 

[FrontPageNews]

The dolans

 

[Steve_424]

I'm not sure the Indians have a static rival. We all hate the Yankees and Red Sox but I'm not sure they care that much the other way. The Cubs, Marlins, and Braves bring back bad memories, but not rivalries. It's really more about who the main competition is - White Sox, Twins, Tigers, Royals have all taken turns fighting us for the Central.

 

[sportscoach]

I'm not sure the Indians have a static rival. We all hate the Yankees and Red Sox but I'm not sure they care that much the other way. The Cubs, Marlins, and Braves bring back bad memories, but not rivalries. It's really more about who the main competition is - White Sox, Twins, Tigers, Royals have all taken turns fighting us for the Central.

I agree, it is really whomever is rated at the top of the division in pre season that's our greatest rival that season. We don't have a hate for any team nor one we have to defeat everytime just because it is them...

 

[Derek]

Their own fans seem to hate them more than anyone else

 

[CalBuckeyeRob]

Cincinnati. In many parts of Ohio, especially Columbus, you pick your Ohio team and root against the other one.

 

[BMAN]

I would say whichever Central Division team. I happen to hate the Tigers the most. I feel like there’s untapped potential for a Reds rivalry. It also always seemed like Pirates fans traveled well and those game would have decent attendance. I feel like that could be built upon.

Now that I’m thinking about it, if teams and the league in general would build up other rivalries it could make the regular season more interesting and fun.

 

[Alabuckeye]

I would rotate the ChiSox, Twins, and Tigers. TBH, I don't feel much about the Royals regardless how good they are.

The Reds to some extent, but it doesn't feel like the 5-6 games we play them a year mean much.

 

[macbdog]

Their own fans seem to hate them more than anyone else

I think you misinterpreted what the original poster was asking, it was for the teams on field 'rivals' not their 'fully justified critics'.

 

[Derek]

I think you misinterpreted what the original poster was asking, it was for the teams on field 'rivals' not their 'fully justified critics'.

“Fully justified”

I forgot how funny you could be

 

[Selby]

I personally hate the Red Sox and Yankees, but they certainly don't feel the same way towards us. I wouldn't call them our rivals.

If I had to pick one team where the level of hate is mutual I guess it would be the Tigers. They are division rivals, and for some reason a ton of Ohioans hate Michigan and a ton of Michiganders hate Ohio. Even if both teams are irrelevant or one is clearly superior to the other, the fans at least get into it a bit more just because of the whole Ohio-Michigan aspect.

 

[The Oi]

I took it.

Closest thing to a rival would have to be Sox and Yanks because Indians have played them in the playoffs a few times apiece over the last couple decades and both teams have beaten each other. The Yankees and Sox have also beaten Indians in pretty heartbreaking fashion while Indians have dominated both.

The problem is, both those teams are too busy with one another to gaf about the Indians and the Indians were bad for long enough between the 60s and early 90s that no rivalry took root for the boomers to pass on to their kids. That’s usually key.

 

[Criznit]

Seems to me the natural rival is the Chicago White Sox. Everyone else in the division just kind of sucks, but the one team i am always rooting for us to be is the ChiSox.

 

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

The traditional rival was the White Sox, but pretty much all the teams in the AL Central are on equal footing I'd say. There's probably a little more animosity between Cleveland and Detroit/Minnesota than Chicago/KC right now.

The Reds are a fun geographical series. Not really rivals though.

Everyone in MLB hates the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers... so that's not really unique to us. But I'd imagine the smaller markets have more animosity towards the big spenders, and we're a pretty small market.

 

[LL3]

It would not work for all teams (Seattle leaps to mind), but I would love to see Inter League play have an expanded "rivalry" footprint...CLE really should be playing the Pirates every season...probably the Cubs, too. I like the Cincy home/home, of course. NL teams of course, but those seem more like natural "rivals" than perhaps KC, or Min.

I agree with others that the top rival is almost always those with whom we are competing for the top of the division. Detroit is a natural, because of proximity and the number of fans that have traveled over the years from each region.