Cleveland, OH
In Cleveland, every Corey Kluber outing was a spectacle: Meisel
CLEVELAND — It’s a short stroll from the mound to the dugout at Progressive Field, too quick to allow Corey Kluber a chance to escape his pitching trance and acknowledge his surroundings.
He’d walk off the rubber and pace back to the bench in a methodical manner, unaware of every human in the ballpark supplying him with a standing ovation.
When Kluber pitched, there was usually a standing ovation.
For five years, Kluber was as dominant as any pitcher in the sport. Every five days — every four during Cleveland’s October 2016 championship bid — was a spectacle.
But that’s what happens when you’re poker-faced and programmed to rack up strikeouts with perfectly placed fastballs and slurves.
Kluber announced his retirement Friday after a brilliant 13-year career in which he blossomed from non-prospect to award-winning artist.
A Kluber outing was a treat. It was a rare display of precision and efficiency that allowed him to compile gaudy innings totals and gaudier strikeout totals, and not with an overpowering heater or a 12-to-6 curve, but with such command and conviction, hitters could never feel comfortable.
There was no better example of his sorcery than May 13, 2015, one of those mystique-filled days when sports feel scripted.
Anne Feller, the widow of Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller, snipped a red ribbon that afternoon to commemorate the grand opening of an exhibit honoring her husband at Progressive Field. Then, from a suite, she watched Kluber match Feller’s franchise record with 18 strikeouts in a nine-inning game.
Kluber carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Cardinals that night when Jhonny Peralta poked a two-out single to center. Kluber watched Cody Allen shut the door in the ninth, preventing him from flirting with more history.
Eight innings. One hit. No walks. Eighteen strikeouts. A special showcase in front of Anne Feller and one of the most prolific pitching performances in the history of a franchise that dates back to 1901.
And with the crowd’s roar inching closer to a crescendo after the top half of each inning, Kluber retreated to the dugout, unfazed, gazing ahead at nothing in particular.
Kluber ranks third in club history in strikeouts, behind only Feller and Sam McDowell, but he blows away everyone in strikeout rate. Those are the only three pitchers in team history with more than two consecutive seasons of 200 innings and 200 strikeouts. Feller and McDowell each accomplished the feat for four straight seasons; Kluber did it for five in a row.
From 2014-18, Kluber ranked alongside the game’s greats, including Max Scherzer, Clayton Kershaw, Jacob deGrom and Chris Sale. He exceeded 200 innings and 220 strikeouts in each of those years. He ranked second in the majors in innings pitched, fourth in ERA (2.85), third in strikeouts and third in fWAR. In 2017, he led the AL with a 2.25 ERA and tallied nearly twice as many strikeouts as hits allowed.
He’s among 22 pitchers in league history to win multiple Cy Young Awards. He captured the hardware in 2014 and 2017, the only Cleveland pitcher to win more than one. He also finished third in the balloting in 2016 and 2018.
After that five-year stretch, Kluber battled injuries and bounced around the American League, to the Rangers, Yankees, Rays, and Red Sox. He recorded a no-hitter with the Yankees in 2021. He made one final playoff appearance with the Rays in 2022, ironically in Cleveland, where he served up a series-ending home run to Oscar Gonzalez. By that point, though, he had exhausted his October powers.
Kluber made a valiant effort to break Cleveland’s World Series hex in 2016. He logged a 0.89 ERA in his first five starts that postseason despite twice pitching on short rest because the club was missing injured starters Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar. He finally sputtered in Game 7 of the World Series against the Cubs, running on fumes in another short-rest outing. Had the Indians emerged triumphant, they might have erected statues of Kluber and Rajai Davis on E. 9th Street the next day.
No one would have predicted such a rise to prominence for the right-hander.
Stuck in the depths of a rebuild in 2010, the Indians needed to salvage something for the final two months of Jake Westbrook’s contract. They dealt him to the Cardinals in a three-team trade that also included the Padres. Kluber’s strikeout rate caught the attention of Cleveland’s front office, but little else did. His name didn’t surface on any top prospect list. He was 24 and pitching at Double-A San Antonio. Cleveland couldn’t be picky, though.
Kluber called his parents to deliver the news about the trade in his typical, monotone manner. His dad, on the other hand, was ecstatic. Jim Kluber was a Cleveland native. He attended Mayfield High School. The Indians were his childhood team.
But that was Kluber: unfazed, even when those around him celebrated and cheered. During his Cleveland tenure, that was the scene every fifth night.
(Photo: Ron Schwane / Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – For the second day, Northeast Ohio school districts are receiving bomb threats.
On Friday morning, two schools in the Elyria City School District, the high school and Ely Elementary, received bomb threats.
Both schools are evacuating students, and emergency responders are on the way, according to a social media post.
All other district schools are in a lockout status as a precaution.
The district asks that family members not come to the schools or call school offices at this time so emergency communication lines remain available.
Elyria Police said that the department is working with the district to ensure the safety and security of students and school personnel following the threats.
“We are aware that neighboring school districts experienced similar swatting-related incidents yesterday, and our investigative personnel are working diligently with our law enforcement partners to identify the source of these threats,” police said.
Five Northeast Ohio school districts received bomb threats on Thursday, including:
- Alliance City School District
- Amherst Exempted Village Schools
- Cleveland Metropolitan School District
- Lorain City School District
- Shaker Heights School District
Below are the details from each district and the protocols in place to protect students and staff.
ALLIANCE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
The Alliance Police Department confirmed there was an ’anonymous’ robo-voice style call that came into the high school saying there were ’20 pipe bombs’ outside of the school” before 12:30 p.m.
Officers rushed to the high school and Rockhill Elementary School campuses “due to an alarm in which we were not getting a response from the school,” according to APD.
APD shared that the schools evacuated the students temporarily as officers conducted a sweep of the area.
“Nothing was found, thankfully,” APD Lt. Christopher McCord stated. “The school staff, and especially the students, did a great job of staying calm and making everyone’s jobs easier, smoother, and safer.”
“We will be looking into the source of the threats to hold those responsible accountable, if possible,” McCord added.
AMHERST EXEMPTED VILLAGE SCHOOLS
The Amherst Exempted Village School confirmed at 10:25 a.m. that Marion L. Steele High School and Walter G. Nord Middle School received a bomb threat.
AEVS said all district facilities were placed on a level 1 lockdown before the two schools were evacuated to a safe location under the supervision of administration and staff, according to district protocol.
The Amherst police and fire departments teamed up with the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office to perform perimeter and building sweeps to determine if the threat was substantiated, said AEVS.
The perimeter sweeps of the two schools were complete by 11:34 a.m., and law enforcement then conducted the interior sweeps of the buildings, AEVS explained.
Amherst Junior High School and Powers Elementary School lifted their lockdowns at that time and resumed normal procedures, according to AEVS.
AEVS also confirmed at that time that all students and staff were accounted for and safe.
The Amherst Police Department completed its sweep of Steele High School and cleared the building of any threat by 11:51 a.m., AEVS updated.
Students were dismissed for the day at that time, according to AEVS.
AEVS instructed student drivers to leave the campus, and students unable to immediately leave were to stay at the school until they could be picked up by a parent, guardian, or approved emergency contact.
The bus routes were running at the scheduled normal dismissal time for students who need a ride home, AEVS added.
APD completed its sweep of Nord School and cleared the building of any threat by 12:32 p.m., AEVS updated.
Nord School students were safely escorted back into the building, according to AEVS, after evacuating to the New Beginning Church as a safe location.
AEVS instructed parents, guardians, and approved emergency contacts who wanted to pick up their student to report to the school’s front entrance, where staff and APD officers would help.
Classes, activities, and normal dismissal procedures resumed as scheduled for students who stayed at the school, AEVS shared, and bus dismissal also proceeded per usual.
“We appreciate the cooperation, patience, and support of our families and community throughout today’s situation,” AEVS stated.
According to AEVS Superintendent Mike Molnar, all evening activities at the school will continue as scheduled, and school will resume on Friday.
Molnar added that AEVS will have an increased police presence at schools on Thursday night and Friday.
CLEVELAND METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District confirmed two threats were received on Thursday morning. The threats were against East Tech High School and Buhrer Dual Language Academy.
According to CMSD, Cleveland police and CMSD’s Department of Safety & Security conducted an investigation and found the buildings to be safe.
From the information gathered during the searches, Cleveland police believe both calls were swatting incidents.
Classes at both schools were uninterrupted, and the school day progressed normally.
Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s Communications Officer Jon Benedict added that parents were informed about the incident.
LORAIN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Lorain City School District confirmed the high school has been evacuated due to a bomb threat on Thursday afternoon.
This is the third Northeast Ohio school district to receive a bomb threat on May 7.
The district announced the evacuation of Lorain High School at 12:23 p.m., and dismissed students at 12:40 p.m.
Bus riders were escorted to the buses waiting to take them home, according to LCSD.
LCSD said many elementary and middle school students were at the high school for the dance showcase.
Those elementary and middle school students were brought back to their home schools, said LCSD.
All students and staff are safe and following established protocols, LCSD stated, and these measures are being taken out of an abundance of caution.
The district safety team and law enforcement partners continue to investigate this threat.
“Your students’ and our staff’s safety is our top priority,” LCSD stated.
A 19 News crew is on their way to the scene to learn more.
SHAKER HEIGHTS SCHOOL DISTRICT
Shaker Heights High School received its second threatening phone call this week on Thursday, the district confirmed.
Shaker Heights School District said it immediately teamed up with the Shaker Heights Police Department to investigate the threat and determined its credibility.
SHSD said it was aware of the other Northeast Ohio school districts that received similar threats on Thursday.
“Based on the SHPD’s assessment and established safety protocols, the decision was made to continue normal school operations rather than initiate a shelter-in-place,” SHSD stated.
Additional SHPD officers and a K-9 unit were sent to the school out of an abundance of caution to support the safety and security of the building as the investigation continues, SHSD added.
Orrville City Schools were also placed on a soft lockdown on Thursday.
However, this was not a bomb threat, nor any direct threat to the school.
The soft lockdown was a precautionary measure for an incident that happened not just off school property, but out of the town.
This is a developing story. Return to 19 News for updates.
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