Golden State City May Get Rematch With Cleveland In October

The city that houses the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is jamming this week, celebrating its first major sports championship title in 52 years. The Cavaliers, led by LeBron James, came back from a three games to one deficit to defeat the heavily favored Golden State Warriors to capture the championship of the National Basketball Association.

Cleveland’s next title could very likely occur in considerably fewer than 52 years. In fact, it could happen in just fewer than 52 weeks, when baseball stages its Fall Classic in October.

In order to earn that title, though, Cleveland may have to again conquer the home of the Warriors, since the Giants are among the front runners to represent the National League. If the two cities meet in the championship, it will be just the second time that teams from the same two cities battle for the championship among the four major spectator sports of football, basketball, baseball and hockey.

San Francisco has already won the three World Series in an even year during this decade, and they are currently six games ahead of second place Los Angeles in the N.L. West. They also boast one of the best starting rotations in baseball, anchored by World Series Most Valuable Player Madison Bumgarner, as well as an offense that is fourth in the league in runs scored and overall batting average with former M.V. P. catcher Buster Posey in the heart of the order.

Cleveland, too, is in first place in its division, the American League Central. The strength of their team is the pitching staff, led by Cy Young Award winner Cory Kluber. The arms of the Indians are tops in the league in team earned run average, hits allowed, shutouts and complete games, making them among the favorites to win the pennant.

Should Cleveland and San Francisco meet in the 2016 World Series after battling for the NBA championship in the spring, it will match what has happened only one other time in the history of sports. In 1969, the cities of New York and Baltimore battled each other for the titles in two major sports.

In January the underdog Jets, led by quarterback Joe Namath’s famous promise of a victory, surprised the Colts and quarterback Johnny Unitas by winning Super Bowl III 16-7. Then in October, the baseball version of the Jets pulled a similar upset.

Earl Weaver’s Baltimore Orioles, led by future Hall of Famers Frank Robinson and Brooks Robinson in the lineup, boasted the first four teammates to each win twenty games. Pitchers Jim Palmer, Mike Cuellar, Dave McNally and Pat Dobson all reached that plateau, thereby making Baltimore the odds on favorite to win it all.

New York’s National League team, however, earned the nickname “Miracle Mets” by stunning the Orioles four games to one. The Mets themselves had a magnificent pitching staff, including future Hall of Famers Tom Seaver and rookie Nolan Ryan.

The 2016 rematch between Cleveland and San Francisco could finish off the double upset witnessed at the end of the sixties, when both underdogs from New York beat the favored opponents from Baltimore. The Cavs have already upset the Warriors, and the Indians are likely to be underdogs if they meet the Giants in October.

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