Remember when Donna Kelce – the Cleveland Heights-based mom of Travis Swift-Kelce and Jason Kelce – would wear that split Kansas City-Philadelphia football jersey any time her sons played against each other? It looked like this:
Major League Baseball's American League Championship Series kicks off tonight at 8:00 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Cleveland Guardians will face the Tampa Bay Rays in a best-of-seven series for the right to advance to the World Series.
In any other universe, my rooting interest would be clear cut. I've been a fan of the Cleveland Indians/Guardians for nearly half a century. I attended my first game at old Cleveland Municipal Stadium in 1978 and consider the '79 Indians to be the first team for which I was truly passionate.
I have rooted for the Indians/Guardians in horrible seasons (1991 comes to mind...) and near-championship seasons (1995, 1997, 2016). I've sat through games in all sorts of weather, both at Municipal Stadium and the current Progressive Field.
You would naturally assume that "Go Tribe!" will be my rallying cry in this series.
But...
Anyone who knows our family knows my son Jared works for the Tampa Bay Rays. He is in his fourth season there, and his current title is Manager, Baseball Information and Communications.
He does a lot of different things, but essentially his job is to write a whole lot of daily media game notes, help facilitate media interactions with the team, draft official team communications, etc.
Jared works closely with the players and manager Kevin Cash when they interact with reporters and broadcasters covering Rays games. He also takes several road trips a season, so of course he's on the team plane and stays in the team hotel in each city.
Jared interned with the Guardians (in addition to spending a short time with the Washington Nationals before landing the Rays job). He grew up an Indians/Guardians fan thanks to his dad, who took him to games early on and talked about the team often.
Believe me when I say, I'm not the only one in this family who is at least somewhat conflicted.
But Jared has grown close to these Rays players, coaches, and fellow front office staff. He says they're a fun, likeable, tight-knit group for whom it's easy to cheer.
Despite his Cleveland roots, he's pulling for his Rays to win this series and move on. And I get it.
We own lots of Tampa Bay merchandise in our family. Shirts, mugs, hats, etc. We're very likely the only people in Northeast Ohio displaying a Tampa Bay Rays flag in our front yard (it's pictured at the top of today's post).
You always want your kids to be happy. I love the success Jared has built for himself, and I love that the Rays have supported him and his soon-to-be-wife Lyndsey these last few years...even if it has meant them living 1,000 miles away from us.
If the Rays should win this match-up and move on to the World Series, no one in Cleveland will be cheering louder for them than I.
But...
Since the Guardians clinched their divisional series against the Chicago White Sox on Friday, I've been asked several times who I want to win between the Guards and Rays. And I've given the same response each time:
I love my son and want him to be happy, but I can't turn my back on Cleveland baseball. I've been a true fan for 48 years, and I have no plans to abandon that loyalty now.
I'm all in for the Guardians in this one.
I'll admit it's not going to be easy. Terry and I saw the Rays play twice in Kansas City earlier this summer, and we had a good time cheering for them while sitting in a sea of light blue-clad Royals fans. They're our team, no doubt.
Well, they're Terry's team. She's pulling for the Rays in this one.
For me, the Rays are Team No. 2. A solid Team No. 2, but #2 nonetheless.
I want Cleveland to win. The saving grace is that, if the series goes the other way, I'll be genuinely happy for Jared and the Rays. In some ways, I can't lose here.
But you have to pick a side when it comes to this sort of thing, and I'm picking one.
Go Guards!
(Sorry, Jared.)
