1948 WS fan hopes to see ‘beloved Tribe’ win again

CLEVELAND — The regulars at Shimrak’s Cafe, located at E. 33rd St. and Superior Ave. once upon a time in Cleveland, used to quiz little Pete about the Indians. He rarely was wrong. Pete knew all the batting averages for the hitters and records for the pitchers.

Many Sundays in that summer of 1948 were spent walking to old Cleveland Stadium and taking in Tribe games. Pete Shimrak’s dad, Eli, who ran the bar, would sometimes get tickets from local brewers. When the Indians made the World Series that year, Pete was not going to miss it for the world.

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Game Date Time (air time/game time) Matchup TV Gm 1 Oct. 25 7:30 p.m./8 p.m. CHC @ CLE FOX Gm 2 Oct. 26 7:30 p.m./8 p.m. CHC @ CLE FOX Gm 3 Oct. 28 7:30 p.m./8 p.m. CLE @ CHC FOX Gm 4 Oct. 29 7:30 p.m./8 p.m. CLE @ CHC FOX *Gm 5 Oct. 30 8 p.m. CLE @ CHC FOX *Gm 6 Nov. 1 7:30 p.m./8 p.m. CHC @ CLE FOX *Gm 7 Nov. 2 7:30 p.m./8 p.m. CHC @ CLE FOX * If necessary | All times listed ET • World Series coverageShop for postseason gear: Cubs | Indians

“That was the first great summer in my life,” Shimrak says now.

Shimrak, 84, bursts into a joyful laugh when asked about this season’s Indians, who will try to defeat the Cubs to win a World Series for the first time in 68 years. When he exited Cleveland Stadium after Game 5 of the World Series on Oct. 10, 1948, a 16-year-old Shimrak never would have predicted that a lifetime would pass without another Indians championship.

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There have been return trips for the Tribe — in 1954, ’95 and ’97 — but no titles.

On Sunday morning, Shimrak was full of energy as he recalled that magical 1948 season for Cleveland. He had just learned to drive and inherited a ’41 Buick …

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