Game Seven of the 1997 World Series against the Marlins. Game Five of the 2001 Division Series against Boston. The last week of the 2005 season. Games that many Indians’ fans would like to forget. Finally, they can start to replace all those bad memories with good ones. Many of these Indians’ fans have caught the fever here at Hoover.

Having clinched the Central Division title on the final home-stand of the season, the Indians are going back to the playoffs for the first time in six years. Hoover students and staff have jumped on the bandwagon– some earlier than others.

Mr. Matt Johnsen, English teacher and second cousin to Tribe third baseman Casey Blake, feels like it’s the 90s all over again.

“You get that mid-90s feeling where you wouldn’t go to bed in the seventh inning if they were down four, because you knew they could come back,” he said.

However junior Gary Rose has playoff fever for a different reason.

“We’ve lost so many times that I want some victory,” he said. “This team just feels like a winner.”

Another English teacher, Mrs. Wrenn Nicodemo, is cheering for a different team, the New York Yankees, but she is happy that the Indians have done well.

Rose said he has seen the number of people on the bandwagon gradually get larger.

“Some people are still hesitant, but I notice people getting excited about the Indians,” he said.

Senior Phil Martin jumped aboard the bandwagon thanks to an unexpected performance from Indians closer Joe Borowski.

“My playoff fever started when Joe Borowski pitched well in a non-save situation,” he said.

Johnsen believes that the fair-weather fans may start coming out right about now.

“I would imagine the rest of the school might get on board, but not like the true Indians’ fans that were going up to the game last year when they were 10 games out of first place in the division,” he said.

Nicodemo knows that Yankees’ fans always have the fever.

“If you’re a Yankees fan, you’re always expecting playoffs,” she said. “You always have playoff fever.”

As for the fever itself, Martin has only seen the early stages so far.

“I see it in the teachers and hear people talking about it,” he said. “It’s a topic of conversation.”

Martin has seen a difference in this playoff team as opposed to the teams of the 90s, namely the fact that their pitching keeps them in ballgames. Whereas the teams of the 90s could outscore the opposition, Martin likes the pitching staff of this ball club.

Predictions vary from specific, like Indians over Padres in six games (Rose and Johnsen) to vague, like the Indians over the National League Central winners in six (Martin).

Whatever the outcome, Johnsen likes this team.

“Judging by their records against the Angels, Yankees and Red Sox, many people would say they don’t have a chance, but that’s why they play the games,” he said. “I think they could go all the way.”