CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jim Thome thought it was the All-Star Game. Sandy Alomar thought the birthday socks did the trick.
The two Indians icons couldn't agree on the catalyst of the Indians' 1997 run, but one thing is indisputable: It was a magical season for the Tribe, even though it ended in a Game 7 heartbreak.
The Indians will host the All-Star Game again in 2019, sources told cleveland.com earlier this week. The news of the event has sparked memories of the 1997 exhibition. Alomar's two-run shot to the left-field bleachers lifted the American League to victory on that July night in downtown Cleveland.