CLEVELAND: The American League Championship Series between the Indians and the Toronto Blue Jays will be a series among friends, even if some will be on the opposite side when Game 1 begins Friday at Progressive Field.
The Indians-Blue Jays matchup means Mark Shapiro — the former Indians president and current Blue Jays president — and Ross Atkins — the former Indians VP of player personnel and current Blue Jays general manager — will both be back in Cleveland, albeit in a different shade of blue.
Shapiro was a major architect of the shaping of the Indians in the 2000s and headed the transition to the current front office, led by Chris Antonetti. Atkins had moved his way up the ladder until taking a promotion in Toronto shortly after Shapiro left for the Blue Jays last year.
Now, with those two leading the Blue Jays, their only roadblock to the World Series is the Indians — and the Indians have to go through them.
“How could it be any other way than that?” Indians owner Paul Dolan said Monday night during a celebration after the Indians completed a first-round sweep of the Red Sox in Boston. “I’m actually thrilled about that. I’m happy for Mark. It’ll be fun to battle with him and spend some time with him in the process, too.”
Shapiro is one whose influence could run deep in the Indians organization for years despite his working for another team. He influenced Antonetti, who has influenced GM Mike Chernoff, and right down the line. Shapiro and Antonetti have been texting one another and plan to get lunch this week. Friends become friendly foes this week.
“I’m incredibly grateful,” Antonetti said Monday. “I wouldn’t be standing here today and having this opportunity if it wasn’t for Mark. For both of us to advance to the ALCS is really a dream come true. At a minimum, we know one of the two of us is going to end up in the World Series. Obviously, right now, I’ve got a strong preference on which one, but I’ve got an immense amount of respect for Mark and Ross and the leadership group there.”
Shapiro and Antonetti played key roles in the Indians’ hiring of Terry Francona as manager prior to the 2013 season. Francona had an opt-out clause in his contract if Shapiro or Antonetti were ever to leave. It showed the bond those three had, and the confidence they have in one another.
“I didn’t like Mark when he was here. How’s that?” Francona joked on Wednesday. “You know what? This is actually unbelievable. For Ross and Mark to be — I don’t know if people realize [the tree]. So many front office people have come out of here. It’s incredible. … It’s probably a little easier for me because they’re not in uniform. Mark and Ross, I’m so close to both of them that it’ll be fun to say hello. I’m sure they feel the same way we do — they want to beat our brains out. But then when it’s over, that’s never going to affect a friendship.”
Shapiro was long one of the people to whom Francona paid the most attention when he was speaking. When Shapiro spoke, Francona said he always wanted to take notes — and sometimes stole bench coach Brad Mill’s pen to do so.
“There was a time when he said something in an organizational meeting and we were all tired,” Francona said. “We had been sitting there all day. He spoke for 10 minutes. I remember writing — I grabbed Millsy’s pen, because I didn’t have one — and I took notes because I wanted to use them in our team meeting the next spring. He’s phenomenally smart, but his people skills to match make him so special.”
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at www.ohio.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RyanLewisABJ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RyanLewisABJ