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Cleveland Indians: The 2017 Season is Officially Underway

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 6:31 p.m. ET

Fansided, Steven Kubitza/FanSided via Wahoo's on First

The Cleveland Indians officially started the 2017 season on Sunday when pitchers and catchers reported to the spring training facility in Goodyear, Arizona.

The Cleveland Indians are back. Well, at least some players have begun practicing.

Sunday marked the first day of spring training as pitchers and catchers officially reported to the facility in Goodyear, marking the beginning of the team’s quest to return to the World Series and bring home a championship in 2017.

The whole team doesn’t officially have a full workout until Saturday, but it sure is nice knowing that baseball season is getting closer with each passing day. While the weather in Cleveland continues to be rather dreary, it will be fun to watch the Indians in some live action in just under two weeks.

Honestly guys it's a little cloudy today. #TribeSpring pic.twitter.com/bCnQYrxSp3

— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) February 12, 2017

This offseason has been filled with great memories of a magical season, yet there is still that unfulfilled feeling of knowing the team hasn’t won a World Series title since 1948. And even though some fans around the nation will toss around 3-1 jokes, the Indians joined 28 other teams who also weren’t champions, so there should be no stress in 2017 about how the title wasn’t won in 2016. Time to move on.

The start of this season will not erase the pain from last season, but rather it will give the team that much more motivation to stay focused on the ultimate goal for all 162 games.

Spring training will be interesting this year, as the Indians are sending some key players to play in the World Baseball Classic next month. This is a bit of a bummer for fans in Goodyear who may not get to see Francisco Lindor, Andrew Miller, or Carlos Santana, but it is a positive for Indians fans elsewhere who can watch the stars play some meaningful games in March.

Overall, the beginning of spring training serves as a relief for Indians fans, and baseball fans all over the world, who are ready for this offseason to end and for baseball to be back. There is nothing worse than when it is 7:05 p.m. and an Indians game isn’t on.

So if your Monday is dragging along, just know the Indians are back. They may just be playing catch, but it is a start.