CLEVELAND — Ohio vs. Michigan, Cleveland vs. Detroit. A rivalry born arguably not long after the founding of these Great Lakes cities in the 1700s. A sibling competition over shipping and steel, culture and cars and—oh yes, sports.
For much of the last several decades, the Lions and Browns may have been in a competition for the NFL cellar, but back in the 50s, they were the league’s Crown Jewels, competing against each other for four NFL Championships. Detroit taking three.
NBA fans remember the legendary playoff matchups between the Cavs and the Pistons with the LeBron lead team of 2007 defeating Detroit to make it to their first NBA Finals.
And of course Ohio State Michigan football dates back to 1897.
But, in Major League Baseball, no two teams have played each other more in the history of the game than Detroit and Cleveland. More than 2,300 times, and amazingly, not one of those matchups have come in a playoff setting. That ends Saturday as the Guardians and Tigers square off in Game One of the ALDS at 1:08 p.m.
Guardians fan Ben Workman drove up from West Virginia for the game. "I got my tickets several weeks ago, bought the tickets before they even made the playoffs."
That's because it was clear weeks ago the Guardians would make the playoffs. For their opponent division rival Detroit, it was not. They had a point-2 percent chance of making the playoffs on Aug. 10 when things turned around for them. Now they're the hottest team in baseball.
Workman isn't worried about Detroit, and neither is 30-year season ticket holder Jim Lehman of Akron, who was just thankful not to be facing the Houston Astros again.
"I think we will have a better chance then we would against those from Texas. We've gotten killed by the Texas people more than once," he said.
Cleveland and Detroit are separated only by a 145-mile drive, so you would think it would be the closest of the playoff matches happening this weekend. Still, the reality is that the four-divisional series taking place is actually the second... furthest.
Yes, by pure chance, that is how the schedules and the first round of the playoffs worked out. The Mets and Phillies, who are 95 miles apart, and the Dodgers and Padres at 120 miles, are actually closer in distance. Only the Yankees and Royals have to do any real traveling with 1,147 miles between them.
But any Guardian fan will tell you Detroit fans travel, as evidenced by the first people we ran into at the ballpark on Friday. Darryl Nailer and his four sisters drove down from Detroit on Thursday.
"We just hoping and praying that the Tigers come out on top baby," he said.
If the Tigers were facing the Yankees or Royals, it's a trip they wouldn't have made.
"It was the distance, and it was the price of the tickets. We couldn't get no tickets in Detroit, so we figured we'll start off in Cleveland and see how that work out for us," Nailer said.
Booking multiple hotel rooms for multiple nights on a weekend when there was nothing really scheduled seems to be part of the playoff spirit.
"Oh it's a gift, the playoffs, postseason for any of our teams is such a gift," said Destination Cleveland President and CEO David Gilbert. "I mean, the Guardians are going to have two games at home. It could be ten games at home and each one."
And as evidenced by the Nailers from Detroit. "Each one, when you get into postseason, draws many more people from out of market."
Beyond that, on a sun-soaked Saturday on the North Coast, there are the eyeballs that will be on the city from a national TV audience.
"The beautiful thing about our pro sports teams [is] they all wear Cleveland," said Gilbert. "And it's probably our most important front door to the rest of the country."
