The 2016 Cleveland team's chemistry was a key piece to their success and World Series run.
As the 2016 team was announced ahead of the Cleveland Guardians’ matchup against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night at Progressive Field, Jose Ramirez playfully smacked Chris Gimenez on the head. Gimenez turned around with a confused look on his face, realized it was Ramirez, and gave him a huge hug.
The mid-30s and early 40-year-olds looked like kids once again, and that was a very familiar scene from what transpired in the dugout during the summer of 2016.
From afar, it appeared that iteration of the Cleveland Indians had a special bond that went beyond the foul lines, and Corey Kluber all but confirmed that on Friday during the ten-year reunion of the American League Championship-winning team.
“I think a lot of it, it came from how close we were as a group; that breeds natural chemistry,” explained Kluber. “The guys that were new, whether it be a guy who was signed that offseason prior or got traded for at the deadline, fit in seamlessly.”
Oct 25, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Corey Kluber (middle) is congratulated by teammates as he waits to be relieved in the 7th inning against the Chicago Cubs in game one of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY SportsChemistry is great, but for that 2016 roster, it also elevated the team’s potential. Everyone in the locker room had the same objective, and that showed on the field.
Kluber continued, “It made it really easy to go out there when it was game time and all have the same goal. There wasn't any individual egos that were kind of attracting from the goal of the team. Which, in all honesty, is pretty rare.”
Similar to Cleveland’s current roster, many of the players on the 2016 team were drafted or signed around the same time. They came up through the farm system together, knew each other well before stepping foot on a big-league field, and had an understanding of each other as a person, not just a player.
Some credit does deserve to go to the front office for how the roster was constructed. Not only did they add to right players talent-wise, but also personality-wise, and that second piece can sometimes be just as important as the first.
Yes, the 2016 Indians won 94 games, but many of the memories fans look back on center on how the players interacted with one another, which was clearly a genuine joy.
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