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August 10, 2011New Hall of Famers Robbie Alomar and Bert Blyleven will return to Cleveland on Friday night to be honored by the team and the fans. There is no question that the Indians have struggled to find a consistent second base option since Alomar left. Rookie Jason Kipnis may have the best chance of the bunch, but he has a long way to go to come close to Alomar defensively.
Alomar took a few minutes in advance of that function to speak to the Cleveland media. He said that his induction into Cooperstown was “An unbelievable feeling. One of the biggest moments of my life.” He also spoke fondly of his time here in Cleveland.
“The best years I had, I had in Cleveland numbers wise. One of my dreams was to play with my brother.”
That relationship between Robbie and Sandy Alomar is a special bond. “My brother is my best friend. We supported each other since day one as kids. He’s a Hall of Famer in my heart.”
Well said Robbie. He’s a Hall of Famer to many Cleveland fans. (Ok, at least me.)
Roberto also mentioned his appreciation for Bert Blyleven and his career as well. It turns out Robbie used to play with Bert’s son in the Texas Rangers clubhouse while both of their fathers were playing. It’s a small world. Robbie described Bert as “a joker, a fun guy to be around.”
He did express disappointment that he wasn’t able to help bring a championship to Cleveland. Part of a World Series winner in Toronto, Alomar said he desperately wanted to win a title with his brother.
In his three years with the Tribe, Alomar hit .323 with 63 home runs, 114 doubles, 309 runs batted in and 106 stolen bases. On top of that, he won 3 Gold Gloves, 2 Silver Sluggers and made 3 all-star appearances. He and Omar Vizquel combined to form the best double play combo I’ve ever seen, and perhaps ever will.
8 Comments
Sandy is my favorite player ever. He is also a hall of famer in my heart.
Best second baseman I ever saw.
I got three words for you: Ronnie F-ing Belliard.
“He and Omar Vizquel combined to form the best double play combo I’ve ever seen, and perhaps ever will.”
Yes.
I love me some robbie alomar
I forgave Robbie for beating us in ’96 w/ Baltimore when he signed here and started raking. That, and the defensive combo he formed with Omar were magnificent.
I have to agree Julie, Sandy is my all-time favorite too, and when he and Robby played for our team, it was awesome. They are missed for sure!
Sandy and Robbie were two of my favorite Indians. You could see how much they enjoyed playing here. A lot of players will say they enjoy it, but those two showed it every day. I also was rooting for them to pull it off here.