'A sense of professionalism': Corey Kluber's lessons still ring true for Rays, Guardians

CLEVELAND – If Guardians fans want to grab for the remote if clips of the 2016 World Series are shown during ESPN’s coverage of this weekend’s American League Wild Card Series, Corey Kluber would approve.

The Tampa Bay Rays’ right-hander who won two Cy Young Awards while in Cleveland admitted Thursday he does the same thing.

Asked how often he thinks back to the painful seven-game World Series loss to the Chicago Cubs, Kluber said, “Every time I see a clip of it on the TV. More often than not I change the channel.

“I can tell you what happens without watching it. I don’t need to watch it.”

Kluber, 36, is not listed as a projected starter for the Rays in the first two wild-card games Friday and Saturday at Progressive Field. Unorthodox Rays manager Kevin Cash, the Guardians’ bullpen coach in 2013-14, could use Kluber as a reliever during the best-of-three series that concludes Sunday, if necessary.

Kluber, 10-10 this season with a 4.34 ERA, will be unfazed if that’s his role.

“I think that’s the way things have been trending in the postseason for a lot of teams,” he said Thursday before the Rays’ workout at Progressive Field. “You kind of throw out the script you use for 162 games because you don’t have that luxury of trying to play for the long haul.

“I’m going to try to figure out the best routine that we can put together to try to keep myself ready and if that phone rings and my name’s called, be ready to go.”

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There are staffers and players in the Guardians clubhouse with whom he remains close, but Kluber isn’t emotional about this return to Cleveland.

He's made three career starts against his old club, compiling a 2-0 record with a 3.94 ERA and striking out 19 of 65 batters. This season, Kluber started twice and went 1-0 with a 6.30 ERA in 10 innings pitched, striking out 15 of 47 he faced. He most recently pitched in Cleveland on Sept. 27, getting no decision in the Rays' 6-5 victory.

“I don’t think it’s any different than playing any team. I’ve come back here a couple times, I’ve pitched against them a few times,” Kluber said. “Maybe that would be different if I hadn’t faced ‘em to this point, but in terms of all that kind of stuff, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to get that out of the way.

“There’s a lot of guys over there that I’m close with, whether it be staff or players, care about ‘em, but obviously for these three days going to try and beat ‘em the best we can.”

But Cleveland and its fans will always be special to him and his wife, Amanda, he said.

“They’ve always been fantastic, whether it was when I played here, coming back a couple times,” he said of the Northeast Ohio faithful.

Players and managers on both sides are just as devoted to the 2016 and 2018 Cy Young winner who also pitched for the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees.

“He can be in 15 different uniforms, there will always be a fondness for him,” Guardians manager Terry Francona said Thursday. “What he accomplished here, how he accomplished it, the kind of kid he is. Those will always be wonderful memories. Always.

“Now, if he pitches, we want to beat him. But that doesn’t take away from how we feel.”

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Guardians right-hander Shane Bieber, the 2020 AL Cy Young winner, was drafted by Cleveland in the fourth round in 2016. Maintaining a “decent relationship” since Kluber was traded to Texas in December 2020, Bieber summed up what he’d learned from Kluber in Klubot fashion.

“Long story short, keeping things simple and not getting overwhelmed by any situation,” Bieber said.

But Bieber couldn’t resist a chance to expand.

“I think I learned a lot from just watching him on TV,” Bieber said. “The then-Indians team went on a pretty special run in ’16 so I was able to watch that intently. And he went on a personal run himself, which was pretty spectacular that people still talk about.

“Just knowing him and learning from him and his personality as a competitor, a teammate and a person, I think he’s very even-keeled, he’s an ultimate competitor, doesn’t let any situation get too big or too small.”

Rays left-hander Shane McClanahan, who starts Friday’s Game 1, spoke of Kluber in the same glowing terms.

“Having Klubes here, it’s kind of been very surreal for a lot of us in that clubhouse. Corey has a sense of professionalism that I don’t think we’ve seen,” McClanahan said. “The guy’s been there, done that, two Cy Youngs, the postseason …

“To have him on our side with that leadership and that knowledge, pick his brain and kind of see that everything’s going to be OK. It’s easy to get caught up in a lot of stuff. To have Corey there balances it all out. He’s been a good friend to me, beats me at golf every time we play. It’s been valuable.”

Kluber signed a one-year, $8 million contract with the Rays and will be a free agent after the season. He said he’s had to change his routine because he can’t endure the same workouts he did when he was 28.

But the father of three – daughters Kendall and Kennedy and son Kamden, who turns 6 in December – has given no thought to when he’ll retire.

“No. I think if you say one more year, two more years, who’s to say that you don’t feel fantastic after that and keep going,” he said. “When that time comes, Amanda and I will know. We’ll figure it out.”

Kluber doesn’t know if his body or his heart will tell him when it’s time to go, but he knows which one he'd choose.

“Hopefully it’s my decision and not my body’s decision,” he said. “We’ll see.”

Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Corey Kluber unemotional about return to Cleveland with Tampa Bay