CLEVELAND, Ohio — The next addition to the list of The 40 Most Influential People in Cleveland Sports, our ranking of the people who currently wield the most influence over Cleveland’s sports happiness, is a power hitter who plays with passion
In this series, we are picking the top 40 athletes, front office personnel, owners, and even those who work on the periphery of sports, to see who does the most to shape the happiness of Cleveland sports fans.
The 40 Most Influential: See how we are determining the Top 40 and the full list so far.
Next up, the home run trotter who rocks babies:
No. 25. Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor
Cleveland has loved big-swinging lefties before Josh Naylor. It will love them after Josh Naylor. It may even love another more than Josh Naylor.
But Guardians fans will never love another power-hitting south paw quite like the one they love now. Naylor ranks 25th on Cleveland.com’s list of most influential sports figures because he’s an All-Star. He ranks that high because his team is good, and his bat cracks baseballs at volumes only surpassed by the roars that follow at Progressive field.
But the city loves him because of what comes next.
He might start by admiring his bomb and flipping the bat. Then he’ll trot around the bases, perhaps while shushing the road crowd or cradling an imaginary baby that, if you look close enough, looks a lot like a Yankees pitcher. Then he’ll touch home plate before the real show begins.
Helmet’s off. It needs to be thrown. Cover the ears. Kids shouldn’t hear the four-letter combos Naylor is about to invent. Now check your smile.
Big as Naylor’s swing, isn’t it?
Home runs are never boring. But Naylor is Cleveland’s vein-popping-passionate reminder that home-run hitters don’t have to be, either. If baseball purists (read: former teacher’s pets) disagree with Naylor’s style of home run trot, even better.
Because Guardians fans love him most for the nature in which he rattles opposing teams’ cages.
The 40 Most Influential People in Cleveland Sports (so far):
- No. 40: Sherrone Moore, Michigan football coach
- No. 39: John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens coach
- No. 38: T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher
- No. 37: Jameis Winston, Browns quarterback
- No. 36: Will Howard, Ohio State quarterback
- No. 35: Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback.
- No. 34: Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers coach.
- No. 33: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback.
- No. 32: Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs tight end
- No. 31: Tom Hamilton, Guardians radio announcer.
- No. 30: Jim Donovan, former Browns radio voice.
- No. 29: Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs quarterback.
- No. 28: Lamar Jackson, Ravens quarterback.
- No. 27: LeBron James, Lakers forward.
- No. 26: Denzel Ward, Browns cornerback
