Cleveland Indians fans were able to see Andrew Miller on the mound again at Progressive Field during Wednesday afternoon’s game.
Of course, he was wearing a St. Louis Cardinals uniform.
Miller made his return to Cleveland for the first time since departing following the 2018 season and pitched a scoreless inning with two strikeouts.
That is vintage Miller right there.
While he has been gone for a few years, it still feels odd to see him in a Cardinals uniform.
For the first time since signing with the Cardinals as a free agent in 2019, we welcome Andrew Miller back to Progressive Field tonight! pic.twitter.com/g5MgoRsFDP
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) July 27, 2021
A Special Time In Cleveland
Miller showed up at the 2016 trade deadline and it immediately felt like he had been there for years.
He fit in right away and became a fan favorite once it was clear he had reached a whole new level of success with the Indians.
He had 46 strikeouts in 29 innings upon arriving, and that is before we even get to his postseason success.
The 2016 ALCS MVP did not allow a run until the World Series and pitched 7.2 innings in the ALCS against the Toronto Blue Jays.
If you recall, Andrew Miller was virtually unhittable in the 2016 Postseason.
His ALCS performance won him MVP of the series, and he recorded 30 strikeouts in 19.2 innings pitched across the Postseason. pic.twitter.com/7D1wkqOptt
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) July 27, 2021
If the Indians were in a jam, whether it was in the fourth or ninth inning, Miller was always ready to go.
The southpaw was dominant again in 2017 before he started to fall apart in 2018.
The whole team fell apart, for that matter.
But seeing Miller still brings up those 2016 memories because of just how fun that season was.
Fans, and the team, have been chasing that feeling ever since.
Building A New Bullpen
The trio of Miller, Cody Allen, and Bryan Shaw was one of the best in MLB in recent memory.
Now, James Karinchak and Emmanuel Clase are looking to become the next dominant duo, with Shaw around again to provide some support.
However, it would not be a shock if the veteran was moved before the trade deadline Friday.
The thing with a player like Miller is that the Indians traded for him because they were contenders.
That is the easiest way to add elite talent and the team may do the same thing with a different reliever once they are top contenders once again in the future.
In the meantime, developing Clase and Karinchak could even mean one day they are traded in order to more talent to the farm system.
The cycle in MLB never stops and it all depends on the five-year outlook an organization has.
The Indians are always a bit in the middle due to constantly developing young stars who have the potential of leading the team to greatness out of nowhere, like with what happened in 2016.
Miller is no longer the dominant reliever he was back in 2016.
But it is always fun to see familiar faces and Miller remains a Cleveland legend for his postseason heroics five years ago.
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